In My Enemy's Hands
by maigonokaze
Summary: Six girls have been kidnapped by someone who seems intent on taunting SVU. The situation only worsens when Olivia is abducted and finds herself trapped along with the missing girls. CAUTION: Will contain graphic rape and violence. You have been warned.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to the Law and Order Franchise or L&O:SVU. They belong to Dick Wolf and I stand to make no monetary or other gain from writing this story.

* * *

Elliot's hands ripped open the envelope and pulled out its contents. "We've got two more."

Olivia peered over his shoulder. "Damn. Send those to forensics to check for prints, I`ll start checking missing persons, see if they've been reported yet."

"Look at this," Elliot removed a small slip of paper that had been stuck between the two pictures. He read it aloud "'what's the matter, SVU? Too scared to come out and play? Come and find me, if you can.' Sick twisted fuck."

Olivia took the pictures from him, careful to only touch the edges with her gloves so as not to disturb any prints on the flat surfaces. Like the four other pictures they had received over the past two days, the images were printed in low-quality on standard printer paper. She walked over to the board where they had tacked up pictures of the other four victims and held up the new two for comparison. All six pictures had the same dull cement in the background. The girls all lying on their backs on the floor and were gagged with white cloths. Their eyes were wide and terrified, pupils fully dilated. Olivia's expression flashed through a series of emotions in a microsecond: rage, heartbreak, sorrow… but in that same flash, it was gone and her face was a mask again.

Elliot gently took the pictures from her and, along with the envelope and the note, headed out of the bullpen toward the evidence rooms. Olivia sat in front of the computer and started to scan through the listings of recently reported missing persons. The images of the two girls were burned into her mind and she flashed through picture after picture of runaways and disappeared teenagers looking for their faces.

By ten o'clock that night, the case had not progressed much further. They had identified the girls and spoken with the families. Anna Perdin was 17 and Jessica Hartsfeld was 18. That fit with the profile of the other girls who had been abducted – all were between 16 and 18 years of age. The abductions had been quiet, all taking place in parking garages or secluded allies around town. The abductor was careful to avoid places with video camera, which meant he had probably scoped out the areas earlier. As of yet, however, they had no way even to identify they type of vehicle he used. Olivia leaned back in her chair, her eyes blurring from looking at the computer for so long. "I`m going to go grab some coffee, El, do you want some?"

Cragen spoke; neither of them had even heard him step out of his office. "No, you two go home. You've been here for days working this case. We can start it back up first thing in the morning."

"Cap, you know he'll grab more girls tonight! We've gotta catch this bastard and put him away." Elliot's voice rose, refusing to leave.

"I know that. I also know that I need my two best detectives working on this and you're no good to me if you turn yourselves into caffeine zombies. Go. Get some sleep and report back here at 0600."

They both hung around for a while, trying to find a lead before finally they left at almost midnight. They walked together to the parking garage, got into their respective cars, and drove off.

Olivia pulled into her apartment building and got out of her car. She rang for the elevator and leaned with her back against the wall as she waited for the _ding_ that would alert her of its arrival. The faces of the six victims from this case danced before her eyes. Other than all being attractive young women, they had very little in common. There were three white girls, two Hispanics and one black; dark hair, blond, brown, red-head; different eye colors and clothing styles. They had all been taken from different parts of town while walking alone… It made it very difficult to track the perp when he didn't seem to be too picky on his choice of targets.

The elevator doors opened and Olivia stepped inside, pressing the number for her floor. Her mind was still churning, trying to find the connection that would help them find this guy. When she arrived at her floor, Olivia walked over to her door and drew her keys out of her pocket. Before she could slide the key in the lock, a jolt of electricity seized her. Her jaw locked shut as the current ran through her body. Still immobilized by the taser, Olivia was helpless to resist as an arm reached around her and clamped a chloroform-soaked towel over her mouth and nose.


	2. Chapter 2

Rough hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her awake. Olivia groaned as she came to consciousness; her head was pounding and her mouth was dry. She was lying on her back and her arms were pinned beneath her. She opened her eyes but couldn't make out anything save a small red light in front of her. A burst of light erupted in front of her and she was temporarily blinded. Then she heard a soft chuckle and a male voice. "Oh, that's a nice one, detective. I`m sure your friends at SVU will like this picture." There was a sound of receding footsteps and then he flicked on a light just before he exited the room and locked the door.

Olivia struggled to a sitting position against the wall and looked around. She was in an expansive rectangular room, most likely a basement of a house. There were a few windows set high in the wall, but they were covered by black poster-board. The ceiling lights were bright enough to see everything, but still considerably dimmer than typical houselights. The floors, walls, and ceilings were all made of the same indiscriminate concrete. Olivia was in the back right corner of the room, as far from the door as possible. Along the opposite wall, the long wall that led toward the door, a row of six pallets were evenly spaced approximately a body's length apart. Some of the occupants of the pallets stirred in their sleep with the lights initially came on, but did not wake. Olivia's eyes scanned, checking from across the room to confirm what she already knew – these were the girls they had been looking for, whose pictures had been delivered directly to SVU over the past several days.

None of them seemed to be seriously injured. There was no smell of blood in the air, nor any other bodily fluid. She couldn't see any bruises of cuts on their faces but was too far away to be sure.

Once Olivia had looked over the girls, she turned her attention to her own situation. Her arms were handcuffed behind her and there was a gag tied around her mouth. There was a leather restraint cuff locked around her right ankle and a chain snaked from her leg to an eye-bolt in the wall. There was about four feet of slack in the line, enough to move around slightly and shift positions, but not enough to go anywhere. Just beside her was another pallet, laid out against the wall opposite the girls. Olivia glanced at the thin cushion and threadbare sheets and shuddered slightly at the thought of sleeping in a bed prepared for her by this psycho. She leaned her head back against the wall behind her and kept her eyes open, determined not to let her guard down. Eventually, however, exhaustion and the remnants of the chloroform in her system pulled her into sleep.

Hidden in the walls, numerous cameras continued recording every moment from every angle, instantly relaying their data to a central computer in the man's room.

The man turned over in bed for the five hundredth time around five am. He was too restless and excited to sleep. He got up and started to get dressed. He pulled on a pair of black socks, then a pair of black slacks and tight black t-shirt. He tucked the hem into his pants and fastened his belt. He picked up Olivia's gun, which he had taken from her while she was unconscious the night before and tucked it into his belt. A black ski mask and generic black sneakers completed the ensemble. He headed down the stairs toward the kitchen, never turning the light on. He grabbed a sleeve of paper cups and a bag of sliced bread off the counter and tucked them under his arm, then crossed over to the refrigerator. He pulled out a pitcher of water and a pack of individually sliced American cheese squares. The last thing he did before opening the basement door was to turn the thermostat down to the low sixties. It was easy to overheat wearing this much black clothing. He shifted aside a painting that hung on the wall next to the basement door. He typed a six digit code into the control panel and let the painting swing back into place before unlocking the basement door.

The light was still on from the night before. A ring of keys hung on a thin chain around his neck and he tucked them under his shirt before venturing farther into the room. He sat on the stairs and surveyed the room with pride, eyeing each of his captives. The six girls lay docilely on their beds, each of them with one ankle chained to the wall behind them. The detective was sleeping slumped against the wall; her head drooped to one side so her chin rested on her collarbone. "Good morning, my beauties." He flickered the light several times to get their attention. Olivia's head snapped upright as she shot to full alert. The gag was still tied firmly in place, but if he had to guess by the look in her eyes, she was mentally screaming obscenities at him.

"Look ladies, we have a new guest." The girls along the wall were still slowly waking up. Anna and Jessica, kidnapped only two days ago, were emanating both fear and fury with their body language. The other girls, who had disappeared between three and four days ago, had a dull glaze in their eyes. "Would anyone like to explain my rules to her while I pass around breakfast?" There was nothing but silence. "Very well, then, I will."

He got up and walked the rest of the way down the stairs. He started with the girl closest to the stairs, setting a few slices of bread and cheese on the ground in front of her pallet and pouring water into a cup to set beside them. The girl drew back, sitting and pulling her knees against her as she pressed against the wall, trying to put as much distance between her and her captor as possible. When she sat up, Olivia got a view of her face. _Elizabeth: one of the first to disappear, out of a parking garage in Brooklyn._

The man continued down the line, placing the food on the ground rather than stepping close enough to the pallets to hand it to the girls. He did not look at Olivia as he spoke, outlining his rules.

"Rule number one: You may not ask me any questions about where you are or why you are here. Two, you will not fight me or argue with me. Three, you will obey every order I give you. If you follow these rules, I will take good care of you. If you break any of these rules, someone will get hurt. I will decide whether to punish you or one of your companions for your transgressions." By the time he finished his speech, he had delivered food to each of the girls and gone to place the leftovers on the stairs. He poured a cup of water and walked over to Olivia. "Any questions?"

Olivia glared at him and he smirked. "Oh, right." He set the water on the ground and stepped closer until he stood directly over her, trapping her knees between his legs. He leaned over and untied the gag. Olivia worked her jaw as the intrusive fabric was removed. He was standing so close; she had to lean her head all the way back to see him towering above her. She opened her mouth to spit a reply but before she could speak, he pulled her pistol out and waved it in front of her face. "I forgot to mention – you don't get punished. If you break a rule, one of them will pay for it."

That was enough to stifle any remark Olivia might have made. She shut her mouth and looked worriedly at the girls as she considered her words, not wanting to say anything that would cause one of them harm. "Your pictures and your notes… if you want to play cat and mouse with the police, I am all the bait you need. You have already proved that you are smart enough to capture seven people undetected. There is no reason to keep them anymore; so why not just let them go back to their families?

The man stepped back and motioned with his gun hand for her to rise. Olivia managed to get her feet under her, though her balance was distorted by having her hands trapped behind her. Now that she was standing, she could more accurately gauge his height. He was around 6'3," and fit, perhaps 220lbs. Underneath the skin-tight t-shirt, she could see clearly defined muscles in his chest and arms. "Maybe. I'll consider it, depending on how you behave." He reached for the cup of water. "Now then, bitch, want something to drink? Did that chloroform make you thirsty?" Without waiting for a reply, he seized a chunk of hair at the base of her neck and pulled her forward. He picked the water up as through to give it to her, but then flung it in her face. "Stupid bitch cop. Fucking cops think they're better than everyone. You fucking whore. I`ll show you. I`ll show all your kind." He shoved her against the wall and pushed her to the ground. She rolled to the side, but he stood over her. He drew back one leg and kicked her hard in the stomach. Olivia rolled away from the blow and kicked out with her legs, trying to sweep his feet out from under him. The man jumped backward, "unh-unh, detective, that's not nice." He crossed to the other side of the room and grabbed one of the girls, a Latina named Maria; he jerked her upright so she stood on her pallet. The chain linking her to the wall was only two feet long, giving her barely any mobility. His left hand dug into her upper right arm and his right hand pulled out the gun again and waved it around. "You'll learn not to piss me off, detective. Every time you do, someone will get hurt. I can promise you that."

He slammed Maria against the wall and crushed his body against her, holding her in place. His gun hand rested against the wall next to her head and his left hand started groping upward under her shirt. Maria squirmed and placed her hands flat against his chest to push him away, but he nudged her temple with the gun and she froze. He placed the gun under her chin, one hand still under her shirt, and tilted her face up toward his. He dove in and captured her lips, thrusting his tongue in to violate her mouth. After a moment, he rocked back and Maria sank slowly down to the floor, her hands coming up to cover her face.

The man glanced at Olivia and smirked, then turned on his heel and went to let himself out, locking the door securely behind him.

While Maria wept, the others turned their gaze curiously toward Olivia. The red-head, Hannah, spoke first, "Who are you?"

Olivia had pulled herself back up to a sitting position against the wall. "My name is Olivia Benson. I`m one of the detectives in charge of finding you."

Isabella, the other Hispanic girl, scoffed. "I can see that's going well. How'd you wind up in here then?"

Olivia shrugged. "Much the same way you did, I suppose. Now that I`m here, my job is to make sure you all get out of here ok. Do you think you could tell me a little about what's been going on? Isabella, Elizabeth, you two were the first ones he captured – can you tell me what's happened, starting with when he first found you?"

Elizabeth spoke for the first time since Olivia had arrived. "Nothing's happened. I woke up here… three days ago? _He_ was here. He took a picture of me and then chained me to the wall here. Since then…" she shrugged. "He comes down with food and water and people. If we try to talk back, he hits us. If we ask questions, he hits us. Mostly we don't talk when he's here – only when he's gone."

"Is he gone a lot?"

"Most of the time, yeah. He brings us food three times a day – except day before yesterday. That was the day that Hannah and Maria got here. Hannah said something he didn't like and he was going to hit her so Isabella kicked him in the balls when he made the mistake of walking too close to her. Did you see how he tends to stay out of range of us now? Anyway, he got pissed that day and we didn't get any food until late that night, when Anna and Jessica got here."

"What else? Have you left this room at all?"

"Yeah. Maybe once or twice a day. He comes to get us one at a time and takes us upstairs to the bathroom."

"Tell me about it."

"It's just right up the stairs and to the left. There's a hallway, but he has everything blocked off with black curtains. He ties our hands behind us and stands with the door open the whole time…" Her voice faltered for the first time.

Isabella picked up where she left off. "He takes us right to the bathroom and then brings us straight back. There's never a chance to go anywhere else and you can't see to anything else in the house. And… in the bathroom… our hands are tied up. When I go in… he, he undoes my pants pushes them down for me. Then he stands right there and watches, the whole time. And after… afterward, he cleans me and pulls my pants back up for me and brings me back here." Now her voice catches too, "It's just so… embarrassing. It's not like he's raped me or anything, but I can feel his eyes on me and…" her voice dropped to almost a whisper. "I feel so dirty." The other girls all nodded in agreement.

Olivia wished that she could go over there and comfort the girl, but the restraint around her ankle made it impossible to move more than a few feet. "Listen to me. You have nothing to be ashamed of, nothing at all. You have done nothing wrong – none of you. We've all just got to hang on, my team will find us soon and until then, we all just have to keep our wits sharp and look out for each other? Olivia paused before asking her next question. "Besides looking at you in the bathroom and touching you there, has he hurt any of you, sexually or otherwise?"

They all shook their heads, except Maria. "He touched me," her voice was so quiet that Olivia could barely hear it. "On the way to the bathroom last night, he threw me against the wall and he put his fingers inside of me. But then he stopped and said something about 'needing to wait for the right audience.'" She looked at Olivia. "I guess that would be you."


	3. Chapter 3

WARNING: This chapter contains description of sexual assault by means of oral penetration. For adult eyes only.

* * *

Even though Cragen had told them to be there by 6:00, the squad room was busy by 5:30. The only person missing was Olivia. They waited until 6:00 before calling her, but got no answer. By 6:30 Elliot was in the car on the way over to her apartment to check on her.

Elliot stood outside her door and knocked. He called on the cell again and heard a ring behind him. He shut his phone and turned to see Olivia's phone on the ground. The screen flashed a "missed call" sign and went dark again. One hand automatically drifted to his sidearm as Elliot scanned the hall for anything else. On the floor, partially kicked under the door, were Olivia's keys. He flipped his phone open again.

"Captain? I think we've got a problem."

* * *

It was midmorning and the man sat in his room, watching the computer screen. He replayed it over and over again – the moment when he pushed that little slut up against the wall. She wanted it, he knew that. He could feel her body squirming beneath him just thinking about it. Unconsciously, he let one hand drift downward and unzip his pants. He took hold of himself as he clicked for a different view. The advantage of so many cameras around the room was that he could see the same thing from half a dozen vantage points. He selected one of the three cameras that were trained on the detective. He had known, had planned everything months ago. Where she would be, what she would see, what he could do… the other girls were nothing – bait to get her on the case and leverage to control her. And control her he would.

He leaned back in his chair as he watched Olivia's face on the computer screen. He watched her anguished self-blame as she saw him assault the girl because she had dared to fight back against him. She would learn. His hand continued to move up and down his shaft and then he suddenly stopped and smiled. There was a better way to take care of this.

He barged into the basement with Olivia's gun already in his hand. The conversation amongst the room's inhabitants halted abruptly as all heads snapped around to face him. He marched over toward Olivia and stopped about six feet away from her. "Come here."

Olivia glanced at the girls; they were all staring at her with wide eyes. She shook her head slightly, warning them to stay calm and quiet. She got to her feet and walked as far forward as she could. The chain halted her about two feet in front of him. She looked him straight in the face and said nothing. He smirked at her and lifted the gun up to point it in the direction of the young women each huddled on their own pallets.

"Get on your knees, detective." Olivia betrayed no emotion; her whole body seemed to have frozen. "Get down." He ground the words out through his teeth. "I will not ask again." The usually quiet _click_ as he cocked the gun seemed to reverberate throughout the room.

Olivia dropped down slowly. One knee hit the ground and she shook, trying to keep her balance as she lowered her other knee to the floor and held herself upright. On the ground with him standing right in front of her, her hands bound, Olivia had never felt more vulnerable. Even in Sealview, with Harris…. The only risk was to her. Here, there were other people who were in danger. Here, the threat was greater.

The man unzipped his pants and pulled himself out in front of her face. Olivia leaned backward, flinching away infinitesimally. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her forward, pressing her face against his thigh. At this angle, Olivia couldn't hold herself up and was forced to rely on his body to support her weight. She began to tremble and hyperventilate, her breath coming in short pants as she tried and failed to pull air into her lungs. This only served to worsen the situation as he felt her hot breath pant against his skin and grew completely rigid.

Olivia jerked backwards, trying to pull away, but he kept his hand twisted in her hair. "Come on now, detective… you wouldn't want to make me mad, would you? You wouldn't want to be responsible for one of these girls getting hurt, right?"

She looked up at him, desperately trying to ignore the throbbing member that bobbed next to her face. "You don't want to do this. It's not too late to stop. At least let them go. If you need a hostage, keep me; but let them go. You haven't gone too far yet, you haven't done anything that can't be dealt with through a plea bargain."

He glared down at her, his right hand alternately squeezing and relaxing on the gun as though it were a stress ball. "How about this – you blow me and I`ll set one of them free. You keep talking and trying to get out of this, and I`ll shoot one of them in the kneecaps and shoulders and you can watch her bleed to death. Now," he released her hair and let her straighten, supporting her weight on her own knees. "I'd get busy if I were you."

Tears began to trickle down her cheek as Olivia closed her eyes. Her mind flashed back to Sealview and her stomach clenched and twisted with nerves and fear. This time it was not a pair of handcuffs holding her in place, but the knowledge that resistance could cause innocent people to suffer. This time, she was terrified not only for herself, but for the girls who were trapped in this nightmare with her. No matter what it took, she knew that she would do anything needed to protect them. If he was willing to let them go in exchange for her submission – if that is what it took to save them from his attentions – than she could suffer through it.

His left hand wrapped around to the base of her neck and pulled her to him as he stepped forward. Olivia flinched as his tip bumped against her lips. She tried to pull back, but his hand on her neck pushed her forward until she had engulfed his full length. She gagged and struggled to move back, just to be able to breathe. Above her, the man hissed in a sharp intake of breath, "Watch the teeth, whore."

He started to rock his hips, pumping in and out of her mouth. Olivia choked every time he hit the back of her throat. She kept her eyes squeezed shut. It was bad enough that she had to taste him, smell him and feel him; bad enough that she could hear his grunts of satisfaction every time he felt her gag around him. The only sense she could control was her sight and she refused to open her eyes and have to see him too.

After what seemed to be an absurdly long time, his breathing quickened as he teetered on the edge. He pulled out of Olivia's mouth and flung her to the ground; his seed shot in an arc and splattered across her face, hair, and clothing. Olivia coughed as her shoulder took the impact on the solid floor. Her stomach heaved and she convulsed as her whole body was wracked with the disgust of what had just happened. There was next to nothing in her stomach to begin with, so when she finally did vomit, it was a weak trail of watery saliva that clung to her lips. The man tucked himself back into his pants and zipped them.

Olivia spat on the ground to clear the final remnants of vomit from her throat and mouth. He nudged her with his foot, knocking her over onto her back. Olivia still did not open her eyes.

He started to walk away. "Wait!" He turned and saw Olivia just pulling herself upright. She looked so beautiful to him. Her face was flushed, her eyes red from crying, her lips full, and her hair tangled. His semen covered her face and hung from her hair like glistening jewels on a Christmas tree.

Her eyes were steel and ice as she glared at him with an anger and a hatred that was beyond verbal expression. "You said you'd let one of the girls go home."

He shrugged, "Not technically. I said I would set one of them free." He lifted the gun and fired three times in quick succession. The bullets pierced Maria, spraying in a wide pattern across her torso, and she collapsed onto the ground, blood pouring out. "There you go. Free as a bird."

The room erupted as he walked out. Olivia yelled for the girls on either side of her to hold pressure on the wound, but the restraints around their ankles would not let them get close enough. Some of them screamed in shock or cried or froze in place. Elizabeth lay on her stomach and stretched forward as far as she could, pulling against her ankle restraint. She could not reach Maria's body to staunch the flow of blood, but just barely managed to touch her fingertips. Maria gasped, reaching out for help, but there was nobody who could get to her.

Just then the door swung open again and the man re-entered the room. He did not have the gun with him, but rather held a damp washcloth. He ignored the dying girl and went straight over to Olivia. He pushed her back down onto her back, this time she fell so that she was at least partially on the pallet he had provided for her. She tried to move away, but he sat on her, straddling her hips. He leaned forward, pinning her to the ground beneath him. She jerked her head to the side, but he wrapped a hand around her throat and squeezed. He cut off her air only for a moment, as a warning, but kept his hand in place in case she decided to continue fighting him. He brought the washcloth up to her face and wiped off the traces of his ejaculate. He whispered to her, telling her how good she was, and how much he had enjoyed it, but all Olivia could hear was Maria as she gurgled and choked her way into death.

Finally he rocked back on his heels, still straddling her. "Poor little detective. Poor dumb cop. You really fucked it up, didn't you? You let that poor girl die. What do you think your cop friends would say about that, hunh?"

Olivia was practically beyond words. "You sick bastard. I hope they fry you. I might even come to watch as they flip the switch. They'll catch you – you're on borrowed time already, I promise you. My people will come and we will pin your sorry ass to the wall."

"Oh, they might come. A few of you might even still be alive by then, unless you push me, unless you make me hurt them. You don't want to make me hurt them, do you?" He punched her in the gut. Immediately he followed with a quick succession of fists to the face, kidneys, and ribcage. Olivia wrenched over onto her side and the man momentarily lost his balance as he squatted over her. Olivia curled up on herself, wishing her hands were free so she could at least shield her head as he continued to punch her.

Finally he slowed and then stopped. Olivia was barely conscious as he heaved her completely onto the pallet. As Olivia drifted into a dark, peaceful oblivion, he bent down and kissed her roughly. The last thing she remembered was his voice whispering "Sleep well, detective. I will be back soon."

* * *

Cragen collected the mail when it was delivered to the station around 2 that afternoon. He rifled through it until he found the envelope that he was looking for, the one they all dreaded opening. It was marked only as "SVU" and had no stamp. At some point it had been slipped into the station mail system without coming through the postal service. They had gone over and over the camera footage of the mail desk at the central police station, but never could see who was delivering the letters from their mystery perp. Probably just some kid off the streets who got handed a twenty to drop off a letter. Untraceable.

He carried the letter into the squad room. At some point along the way, he must have put the rest of the mail down because when he arrived in the bullpen, that envelope was the only thing in his hands. Everyone gathered around as soon as they saw him walk in. Elliot stood menacingly close, his whole body rippled with anger in expectation of what they knew they were about to see.

Sure enough, when Cragen slid open the envelope, Oliva's face stared up from the picture. She was gagged and lay on the same cement floor as the girls in the other pictures. She looked dazed, disoriented, and furious. Cragen handed the picture gingerly to Fin. "can you get that to CSU?"

"Yeah," Fin started to walk off, but then turned back. "Hey Cap'n, there's a website address on the back."

Elliot sat down at the closest computer. "What?"

Fin read him the website address; Elliot typed it in and hit enter, the whole room held their breath.

The banner at the top of the web page read, "Welcome, SVU." Beside it was that same picture of Olivia that had just arrived in the mail. Underneath was a single link that said "videos." Elliot clicked on it.

On the screen, they all watched as a man swathed in black forced Olivia to the ground and began to kick her. When she kicked back, they saw the man cross out of the camera range. Olivia's face suddenly transformed into rage and she fought, tugging against the chain that connected her to the wall. Then the camera view changed and they saw all six of their missing girls, chained to the wall next to thin mattresses. The man had one of the girls pinned up against the wall. It flashed back to Olivia's horrified face and then the video started over again on a loop.

Cragen turned away. As Elliot hit the back key to get away from that video, he noticed something new on the homepage. "Cap, the perp's online now. He just uploaded a new video."

"I don't know if I even want to see it. Click it."

Elliot watched as the perp waved the gun at the girls and Olivia lowered herself to the ground. Then he shut his eyes and couldn't watch anymore. At the end of the video, a black screen came up with white text in an ornate font. "There will be a live show this evening at 8pm. Find me by then or sit back and enjoy the view."


	4. Chapter 4

WARNING: This chapter contains descriptions of situations with a sexual overtone and instances of sexual assault and humiliation.

* * *

In the early afternoon, the man prepared lunch for the six girls and brought it downstairs. He gave each of them food and water, but ignored Olivia completely. He never even glanced in her direction. After delivering their meals, he went over to Anna's pallet, on the end closest to the back wall.

"Put your hands behind your back." He pulled the gun out from the back of his pants and pointed it at her when she hesitated to comply. Anna hastily grabbed her wrists behind her back. "Lay down on your stomach." She did so.

He dropped down beside her; one knee pressed between her shoulder blades, holding her still. Two electric ties did the job of securing her hands to each other. Anna winced as the plastic bit into the tender skin of her wrists but did not say anything. He reached up to undo a thin chain that hung around his neck. A ring filled with keys dangled in the center. He undid her ankle restraint and pulled her to her feet, putting the key-necklace in his pocket. He escorted her out the basement door and left it open behind him, taunting them all with the view of escape they could not reach. A few moments later, he brought her back, secured her in place, and moved on to the occupant of the next pallet, Hannah.

He repeated this process through all the girls and then came over to Olivia's corner. She was standing, leaning against the wall. Her sharp eyes had been observing his every move throughout this process.

"Turn around and face the wall." Olivia slowly turned and stood with her face an inch or two from the wall, holding her breath. He undid his belt buckle and whipped it out of the pant loops with a snap. Olivia flinched at the sound and the probable meaning of his removing his belt. He tucked the free end through the buckle, creating a small loop. This he lowered over her head and tightened against her neck, stopping just short of restricting her air supply.

He chuckled at the tension emanating from her. "Nothing to worry about – just a little insurance to make sure you behave." He tugged down, guiding her until she laid face-down, as the other girls had. He knelt over her, pinning her down as he unlocked the chain from her ankle. When he stood, he pulled her with him. He made sure she saw the gun as he reminded her, "Make sure you behave yourself, detective. If you fight me, one of them dies. If you try to escape or even if you do escape, they will all die before you can get help."

He walked her across the room and up the stairs. Just as Elizabeth had described, thick black curtains hung in the doorways, blocking her from seeing the rest of the house. He took her into the bathroom and undid her pants, pulling them down over her thighs. He pushed her to sit and Olivia tried to lean forward to cover herself with her body, but he pulled warningly on the belt and she sat back.

As Olivia sat exposed, he leered at her, his probing eyes examining the neatly trimmed hair that covered her mound. Olivia averted her eyes, unable to meet his. After she finished urinating, he told her to stand on the edge of the bathtub. Olivia hobbled awkwardly. With her hands tied behind her, her pants around her knees and a belt around her neck, it was difficult to maneuver. He had to help her, pushing upward on her elbow as she tried to lift herself.

Once she was in position, he looped the end of the belt over the shower-curtain rod so that he could easily hold her in place with one hand. He pulled a baby wipe out of a nearby container and reached in between her legs, carefully cleaning her. Then he raised her pants back up and buckled them before allowing her to step down.

He brought her back downstairs and shoved her to the floor next to her pallet in the corner. He kept a firm hold on the belt as he pinned her with his knee and refastened her cuff around her ankle. Then he tightened on the belt and grabbed a handful of her hair, twisting her head to the side to look at him. "I`m going to uncuff you and move your hands around to the front. You _will_ not fight me, do you understand?" Olivia nodded and a second later felt the release of first one wrist and then the other.

He held the cuffs and the gun in one hand, with the gun pressing against her head. His other hand still pulled the belt against her throat. "Roll over." He lifted up so that he was squatting over her, but relieved her of his weight as she maneuvered on the pallet. "Put your hands together." He cuffed her quickly and removed the belt, the gun still trained on her. As soon as her hands were re-secured, he backed away, stepping hurriedly out of her reach. He replaced the keys around his neck and walked out.

* * *

Elliot and Fin got out of their cars in front of Olivia's apartment building. The landlord met them outside to buzz them in. He gave them a list of all the maintenance people who had been working in the building over the past several days and then stepped aside as they went upstairs to ask the woman in the apartment across from Olivia's if she had seen anything unusual.

They knocked on the door, but nobody answered. Just as they were about to turn away, Elliot heard a muffled cry from inside. "Fin –" He started to alert the other detective, but by then Fin had heard it too.

Fin tested the doorknob and, to his surprise, it turned and the door swung open. The cries grew louder and they both stepped inside, guns drawn and held low. "Ms. Attica? Ms. Attica, this is the NYPD." They swung around carefully, heading in the direction of her voice, but still keeping their eyes open in case there was anyone else in the apartment. They entered the bedroom. Lily Attica was naked and tied flat on the bed with her hands together pulled toward the headboard and her feet tied with about a foot of rope between them and then secured loosely to the corners of the foot of the bed. Elliot spoke in a soft and soothing voice as he approached the bed. Fin stood in the doorway, still on guard.

Elliot took out his badge and showed it as he stepped within arm's reach of the woman. He could see her obvious trembling and wanted to reassure her that they were there to help. "Ms. Attica, my name is Elliot Stabler with the NYPD. We're going to help you, ma'am." He reached toward her face, his hand moving slowly. She flinched and he paused, "I`m going to take the gag off and then I will untie you, alright? Then we can get you to a hospital." She nodded.

Elliot eased the duct tape off her lips and gently tugged free the cotton cloth that filled her mouth. She had been gagged for so long that her mouth was completely dry and the cotton fibers stuck in some places to the insides of her cheek. She whimpered as it finally came free. Fin went to the kitchen to get her a glass of water as Elliot set about untying her hands.

When Fin came back in, Lily was sitting up and clutching a sheet against her to cover her bare body. Her wrists were raw and Elliot was still struggling to undo the knots that bound her ankles. Fin held the water out for her, but her hand shook as she reached out to take it and some sloshed over onto the bed. Fin kept hold of the glass and held it up to her lips, tilting it so that she could sip. "My boyfriend, Vince Heartshaw…." her voice cracked. "He attacked me."

* * *

Olivia and the remaining five girls were tense all afternoon. A few conversations started and halted to a stop. The presence of Maria's dead body was definitely unnerving, especially to Elizabeth and Hannah, who were positioned on either side of her. Olivia tried to talk to them and keep their minds off of their current predicament, but they kept coming back to it and dwelling on what he might still have in store. She also prepped the for the possibility that somehow one of them might get a chance to escape, so that they would know what to do to get help as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Olivia made them all memorize her name and badge number, as well as the phone number for a direct line to SVU. "Listen to me. This is very important. If any of you get a chance to escape, you have to take it. Don't stick around and try to get other out – just go. You'll do more good if you can get out and go for help than if you stay here and risk getting caught. If you can get out and get a call, either to 911 or direct to SVU, you have to give them as much information as quickly as you can. Tell them where he is, if he is armed or not. Tell them how many people are in here and how many have escaped, how many are wounded and how many dead. It will only take about 30 seconds for them to get a fix on the phone location, slightly longer if you call from a cell phone. If he is coming after you, just get the call to go through and then leave the phone and scream. The police will come and hopefully he won't realize you've gotten a call out."

"If you can get out and get a call through and he is coming after you, leave as soon as you have contacted the police and get out to the main road. Flag down help if you can, but don't get in a car with any strangers. Stay on the main road until police arrive. And whatever you do, stay alive. Run if you can, but if he catches up with you and you are in danger, do what you have to do to survive. Got it?"


	5. Chapter 5

WARNING: This chapter contains description of violent sexual assault. For adult eyes only.

* * *

When Elliot and Fin returned to the station house just after 5pm, Cragen was waiting for them. "What do we have?"

"Lily Attica, Olivia's across-the-hall neighbor started seeing a man about a month ago. Then last week, he stopped calling and wouldn't answer her calls. Yesterday afternoon, he called her out of the blue and said he needed to come over so they could talk. He got there, attacked her, raped her, and tied her to the bed. She said that while he was raping her, he called her 'detective' or 'Olivia.' He stayed in the apartment and set up a telescope to watch out the window until he saw her car pull in last night. Then she says that he walked out and she didn't hear anything else until we came by today."

Fin picked up with the details as Elliot went over to see if Munch had uncovered anything new in the past several hours. "Yeah, we've got a sketch artist working with her now. Name he gave her was a fake, of course. CSU is at her apartment dusting for prints; he left his cell phone there – looks like a typical burn phone, so I don't think we'll be able to trace him from that. We'll know soon whether his prints are in the system and but DNA takes a while and we're working against the clock. It'll be at least a day or more before we know if anything pops up from the rape kit."

"Why didn't we hear about this earlier? You said you checked with her neighbors this morning when we first knew there was a problem."

"We checked with some of the people in her building, but there was no answer at her place. At the time, there was no reason to suspect that there was any involvement with Olivia's disappearance, so we didn't pursue it further."

"Alright, well… let's find this guy fast. We're at less than three hours until he starts his live broadcast."

"Hey, there been any luck on tracing his web connection?"

Cragen shook his head. "Munch has been working on it with TARU, but he's bouncing his signal off servers in half a dozen states and about three other countries. Whoever this guy is, he knows computers."

By seven o'clock, they had the sketch of the attacker from Lily's description and were sending it to stations across the state. As far as they could tell from the fingerprints, their suspect had no priors. "Or has just never been caught," was Elliot's dry comment.

Seven-thirty came and passed and they were all tense. At quarter-till, they sealed off the squad room to anybody not directly working on the case. As much as they didn't want to see what was going to appear on the screen, they knew that there was a chance of catching some vital information about the perp.

At about five minutes till eight, a new link appeared on the web page. When Elliot clicked it, a new window opened with six different video screens. Munch, Fin, Huang, and Cragen all peered over his shoulder. Each of the screens showed a different angle of the basement room, with three of them focused on Olivia.

At precisely eight o'clock, he walked into the basement. The cameras did not show the door and stairs that led down to the basement, but the detectives saw all heads turn to face one end of the room a moment before he stepped into view. He was wearing black pants, a black t-shirt, and a ski mask.

* * *

As soon as he entered the room, all the girls tensed and instinctively huddled back on their pallets, each pressing her back against the wall in a subconscious attempt to minimize her vulnerability.

Olivia stood to face him as he walked toward her. She placed herself near the corner of the room, with her back angled toward one wall. As the man approached, he positioned himself facing Olivia, with his back angled toward the other wall. The gun was tucked into the back of his pants, in clear view of one of the cameras.

"Ready for some fun, detective?" Olivia did not reply and he reached behind him for the gun and held it loosely, pointing toward the ground. . "I asked you a question, bitch."

"Will you let them go?"

He stepped forward and stopped, holding his body only inches from hers. She could feel the heat radiating off of him. "That's not an answer." He brought his right hand up and pistol-whipped her across the face. A thin cut opened up, tracing the line of her cheekbone and trickling blood down, but Olivia did not move. He held the gun up under her chin. "Are you ready," his voice was low and menacing "for some fun?"

Olivia shuffled to one side and he matched her, not realizing that she was positioning him so that his back was to the wall. She still did not answer and, as she had predicted, he moved the gun away from her and started to point it toward the girls. That's when Olivia made her move.

She lunged forward, slamming him into the wall. His loose hold on the gun was not enough to maintain control and it fell to the ground. In the half-second before he realized what was going on, Olivia seized the thin chain from around his neck and ripped it free. She spun around and leapt two paces away from him, almost to the end of her chain. She threw the keys a split second before he recovered and tackled her to the ground.

He landed on top of her, spittle flying from his lips as he cursed her, he thick hands scrambling to her throat. Olivia bucked, throwing his weight off center and he fell to the side. "RUN!"

Anna had caught the keys and was trying to find the right one to unlock her ankle restraint. Finally she found the right one. She ran to the door and fumbled to unlock it before turning and throwing the keys back to one of the other girls.

"No!" The man rolled over on the floor and reached for the gun. Olivia grabbed his arm and twisted it back, trying to restrain him.

"Go! Go, go, go!" Olivia looked up for a brief moment to see what was happening on the other side of the room and in that instant, the man managed to get his hand around the gun. Olivia leapt forward and jerked his arm to the side just as he fired. The bullet exploded harmlessly into the wall, showering the floor with dust. Two of the girls were out of the room and a third was working on unlocking her ankle cuff.

Olivia reached forward with her bound hands and closed one hand around the gun, wrapping her fingers over his. She knew she would not be able to disarm him quickly with her hands still cuffed, so she wrenched his arm back, twisting it in the socket. She held it for a second and shot three bullets in rapid fire. He reached around with his other hand and wrestled her down. Olivia's grasp on the gun was pulled loose and he whipped it around to fire just as Jessica disappeared out the door. The bullet clipped her calf and she stumbled momentarily but did not fall.

Olivia continued to struggle with him over the gun. Every time he tried to fire or move away from her, she countered him. One bullet pierced Isabella in the shoulder and she fell a foot away from the top of the stairs. But two pairs of hands reached in from around the corner and dragged her up the last few steps and out of view. Elizabeth was the last to get the keys. She looked at Olivia and paused as another bullet fired into the wall. Olivia glanced up when she sensed the pause. "What are you waiting for – get out! Lock the door behind you so he can't come after you." The gun went off again, this time into the ceiling above Elizabeth's head. "Go!"

The man screamed as the final girl vanished around the door frame and the door started to swing shut. "I`ll kill her! Get back in here or I swear I`ll kill her!" The basement door closed. He twisted around and kicked Olivia in the face. She brought her arms up to shield herself and he leapt to his feet, gun in hand, and raced to the door. By the time he got there, it was locked. He had taken care to make the basement impenetrable and the door was heavily reinforced. There was no way he could push his way out.

* * *

In the SVU office, the phone rang. Elliot grabbed it, "Special Victims, Detective Stabler."

"My name is Elizabeth Mayfield, I was kidnapped and held with Detective Benson. The suspect is armed and locked in the basement with Olivia. Of the six girls: five escaped, one is dead. Two are wounded; one in the leg and it doesn't look that bad. Isabella got shot in the shoulder and it's bleeding a lot. We're trying to put pressure on it to stop the blood."

"Alright, we have your location; police will be there in about 10 minutes. Get out of that house and –"

"Go out to the main road, I know. Olivia told us." She hung up and Elliot turned to grab Fin.

"Let's go." He copied the address that was flashing on the phone screen onto a piece of paper and shoved it in his pocket.

Cragen picked up the phone and dialed dispatch, relaying the address for them to send local cops. He hung up just before Elliot and Fin walked out the door. "Town's called Teaneck, about an hour outside the city, get there fast."

* * *

The man stalked back toward Olivia. She had gotten to her feet and was braced, ready to fight. He pointed the gun at her. "I should kill you, you fucking whore. You ruined everything."

Olivia did not move. "So take the shot. Doesn't change the fact that you lost. The girls are gone; the police are on their way. Your only way out of here is in a box or in cuffs."

"Fuck you, bitch." He dropped the gun, out of Olivia's reach even if she stretched her chain out to its limit. "You're nothing. You're fucking nothing!"

He ran at her, pushing her backward into the wall. The blow winded her, but she kicked at him, aiming right between the legs. He blocked, twisting his hips to the side and catching her blow with his thigh. He pressed his left forearm against her neck and applied pressure, pushing back and up. Olivia gasped for air as she rose on her tiptoes to try to alleviate the pressure. Her bound hands reached up to try to pull his arm away.

His right hand snaked up and grabbed the handcuff links in between her wrists. He jerked down on her hands and released her throat at the same instant, flinging her down onto her knees at his feet. He grabbed the back of her neck and pushed, shoving her face toward the ground. He still held control of her hands as he bore down until Olivia was holding herself up on her elbows and knees, her face almost touching the floor. He crouched behind her and looped one arm around her neck, pulling her back up to her knees with her back pressed against him. He ground his erection against her and growled in her ear. "The others might have gotten away, but you're still mine. You hear me? You're mine!"

Olivia's hands reached up to pull him away from her neck, but he batted them down. His left arm remained locked in place against her throat as his right grabbed the neckline of her shirt and ripped downward. He looked straight at one of the hidden cameras and smiled, knowing that her partner and coworkers must be watching. That thought gave him added vigor and he trapped her arms against her stomach with his right hand. He leaned his head down and bit her on the side of the neck, then licked upward to her jawline. "Beg me. Beg me to stop. Let me hear you."

"No!" Olivia flung her head back and connected solidly with his nose. He released her and she scrambled to get away. It only took a few seconds for her to reach the end of her chain. She pulled against it as he stood and moved toward her. The chain was stretched to its limit, restricting Olivia to moving only in a small arc around him. He caught her, one hand grabbing her around the shoulders and pressing her against him with her arms pinned between their chests. His other hand grabbed her hair and twisted her head to face him.

"Come on, honey – don't like to play? You should know the rules… you beg, I take, you scream… gotta follow the rules."

"Go to hell."

She kicked and struggled as he hauled her over to the thin pallet. He threw her onto it and dropped on top of her, straddling her waist. With his left hand, he seized her handcuffs and forced her arms up above her head. His right hand swept the sides of her shirt way and bared her bra-clad breasts. He grinned and lowered himself down on top of her, his mouth seeking hers. At the last moment, he decided better of trying to kiss her and settled for licking and biting her neck and sucking the tender skin over her collarbone.

His right hand groped beneath her, worming its way to undo her bra clasp. Then he pushed push the bra and the torn remnants of her shirt up over her head, wrapping them around her hands and arms as a further way to slow her resistance.

"I guess we'll skip straight to the fun part then. 'Cause you know what, detective? I`m still going to make you scream." His mouth dipped to her right breast and he sucked on the nipple, teasing with his tongue and teeth. He bit her harshly and used his right hand to squeeze her left breast, digging into her flesh with cruel fingers. Then he moved his mouth to her left breast and planted a series of kisses around it before flicking the nipple with his tongue. Olivia choked back her yells, fighting not to give him that satisfaction.

He straightened slightly and moved his hand down to the buckle of her pants.


	6. Chapter 6

WARNING: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of violent rape by means of vaginal penetration. For adult eyes only.

* * *

Olivia sobbed as she tried to shake him off. His balance was precarious with one hand stretched all the way forward to hold her arms up over her head. Olivia tried to rock to the side, throwing her weight underneath him to try to knock him off balance. His hand left her pants and moved to his own. He snapped the belt free of his pants and brought it up to her neck. His left hand brought her arms down so that they were bent at the elbows with the links of the handcuffs passing under her neck. He looped the belt around her throat twice, trapping the handcuff so that her hands were secured behind her head. He cinched the belt and leaned back to admire his handiwork. The belt encircled her neck like a collar.

He sat back on her upper thighs and unzipped her pants. Then he grabbed her by the hips and lifted himself off of her as he rolled her over onto her stomach. Olivia supported herself on her elbows, her fingers entwined behind her head. She could see nothing but the thin cloth of the sheets beneath her. She felt him drag her pants and underwear down over her hips and across her thighs. She tried to kick at him, but her legs were ensnared in her own clothing as he stripped her. Once she was completely naked, the man stood and stepped back, carefully standing out of range as he peeled off his shirt and then the ski mask.

Olivia rolled over and sat, bringing her knees up tight against her chest and crossing her ankles, trying to cover herself. For the first time, she saw her attacker's face. He was young, only in his mid-twenties. Something about him looked vaguely familiar, but she could not identify it. He had high cheekbones and strong green eyes; his dusty blond hair was a few inches long and fell over his forehead to his eyebrows.

Olivia watched, temporarily frozen as he kicked of his shoes and socks and stripped of his pants and boxers. He started to walk toward her and Olivia scrambled on her knees, trying to move away from him. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled up until she was on her knees with her back to him. Her fingers clutched his wrist, trying to pry him off.

He knelt behind her, his knees on either sides of hers, holding her in place with his thighs. He kept one hand wrapped in her hair as the other stroked across the taut flesh of her stomach and up between her navel and the base of her ribcage. He rested his hand there, feeling the muscles twitch and flex as she drew in breath. He pressed his lips against the junction between her neck and jaw, right under her left ear. "I am James Archer – remember that name, because you'll be screaming it soon."

Olivia tried to pull away from him, but he held her close; his erection rubbed against her backside as she squirmed and he groaned softly at the sensation. He shoved her forward in a single motion. Olivia toppled over and tried to wriggle her way away from him. He seized her hips and lifted, bringing her ass up to just a few inches away from his protruding member. His legs were still outside hers, but they clamped down, squeezing her legs together so she could not free one to try to kick him. He looped one forearm underneath her hips and with his other hand he started to stroke her back, enjoying the feel of her trembles under his touch. He nudged forward with his hips, bumping against her entrance but not penetrating.

Olivia's breath hitched and she jerked forward. "No!" she sobbed, "no, please… don't. Please, just stop. Let me go! No, no, no! Get your hands _off_ of me!"

James smiled and slid his hand across her shoulder blades and down over her ribcage to one of her dangling breasts. He tweaked her nipple roughly between his fingers, rolling it while he spoke. "No? Is this not what you wanted, detective? Actually, this was not quite my plan either. You see –" His hand left her breast and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look backwards over her shoulder at him. "I want to see the look on your face." He released her hips and she fell flat. He took her shoulders and twisted, flipping her around onto her back. She tried to jerk her legs free from between his, but he sat back on his ankles, resting partially on her knees with her thighs trapped between his knees. He ran his hands over her body, tracing his fingers over her stomach and hips.

He leaned forward and pinned her down with his weight. His breath was moist and tickled the side of her neck as Olivia turned her face away from him. "You ready for some fun now, detective?" Still holding her down with his body, he began to pry her legs apart and placed first one of his knees and then the other inside her own. His crotch was just above hers and she felt his hard length pulsing against her stomach. He placed his hands on either side of her head and braced himself up. "Look at me." Olivia squeezed her eyes even tighter shut and turned her face away. "I said 'look at me,' bitch!" He held his weight on one hand and the other closed around her throat. Olivia's eyes flew open. In the instant that their eyes met, James drove into her with a single thrust.

For the first time, Olivia screamed. There were no words, no pleas for him to stop, just an unending, ear-splitting, primal shriek. She felt like something was tearing inside her as he ripped through her dry entrance. He did not pause to give her time to adjust to intrusion, but withdrew almost completely and thrust in again. Olivia's scream did not stop, but vacillated between screaming, sobbing, and gasping for air as he pounded into her over and over. She bucked against him, trying everything she could think of to get him off of her – to get him out of her. But he was immovable.

It took only a few minutes for him to come. Olivia moaned and turned her face away in shame as she felt the warm fluid hit the raw and brutalized skin inside her. James withdrew and sat back, watching as Olivia curled in around herself. She lay on her side and tucked her knees up into the fetal position as her chest heaved. The sobbing gave way to weeping and tears poured down her face as she shuddered to catch her breath. She could still feel the sickening liquid flow, trickling out and pooling on the pallet beneath her.


	7. Chapter 7

WARNING: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of violent rape by means of vaginal penetration and also the forced orgasm of a rape victim. For adult eyes only.

* * *

James walked over to the foot of the stairs and looked up at the basement door. "I`m sure the cops are here by now." Olivia gave no response; she had not moved or spoken since he had raped her. "They should be coming down here soon. I`m sure your cop friends want to come rescue you, don't they?" He sauntered back over to where she lay and unbuckled the belt that held her hands behind her head. Olivia brought her arms down and crossed them over her chest. The links of the handcuffs and the remnants of her shirt passed under her chin, where she balled her hands into fists. "Unless they don't want you back. They know what's happened here – they know what a dirty, filthy whore you are."

"No." Olivia whispered, willing her tears to stop. "No, that's not true. They're… they have to take care of the girls first – get them to a hospital. Maybe even wait for a hostage negotiator. Then they will come for me."

"Maybe." James knelt beside her and petted her hair back, tucking it behind her ear. "Maybe not."

Moments later, a loud boom shook the ceiling above them. Olivia jumped to her feet, startled. James laughed. "I think your cop friends just found my little security policy. After all, I couldn't afford for just anyone to find their way down into this room."

Olivia turned on him, "What the hell are you talking about? What did you do?"

"This basement wasn't protected by lock and key alone. I also had explosive charges around the house. In order to enter the basement, I had to enter a code to momentarily disable them. Opening the door from the inside also temporarily disabled the system. But inserting a key in the outside lock without the proper code?" James made a soft _tsk_ sound. "Well, I think you just heard the results."

Olivia gazed at him in horror.

"I wonder if they had gotten the girls out already? Or maybe they were inside still, sitting on a couch, talking with some detectives… Maybe your partner was up there – Stabler. Maybe it was him that tried to rush in and open the door. Who knows – maybe there's a nice, crispy Stabler-hand still holding onto the doorknob, thinking he can come rush in to save you." James taunted her, moving close and closer until Olivia snapped.

"That's enough!" She rushed at him but he just hopped backward. He chuckled as the chain around her ankle snapped taut and she fell.

Before she could rise again, he was on top of her, his chest to her back, his hands crushing down on her arms, legs straddling and pinning hers. "You know," he whispered in her ear. "There's something kind of nice about that thought, isn't there? You see, right now, upstairs, there might be a fire from residual accelerant. Cops are burning, some probably killed by the blast. The whole bottom floor might be gutted. And we are here, nice and safe, protected by a concrete roof and a steel-reinforced locked door. Even better – any other cops on their way will have to wait for the bomb squad to clear the house before they can even come in. Which means…" He rubbed his crotch up and down the curve of her ass. "You and I still have time to play."

* * *

Elliot and Fin were about twenty minutes away from the house when they got a call from Cragen. "Stabler."

"Elliot, I just talked to the local guys on the scene. The girls are all out of the house, on their way to the hospital. They tried to get into the basement, but there was a bomb with a detonator somehow wired to the door. When they tried to unlock it, it blew. They told me that there were explosions in at least three separate rooms that took out a good bit of the first floor. One officer is dead and two more on their way to the hospital."

"Has anyone gotten down to Olivia?"

"No, the house has been sealed off until a bomb squad can check it out. Cameras are still running live: it doesn't look like the blast even touched the basement."

Elliot was scared to hear the answer to his next question. "How's she doing?"

Cragen paused. "He raped her, Elliot. And it looks like he's about to try again."

Elliot hung up and pressed the accelerator all the way to the floor. The speedometer shot from 95 mph to almost 120. The sirens wailed as they sped on toward Olivia, pushing the small car to its limits.

* * *

James licked and nibbled the back of Olivia's shoulders and neck. She shook beneath him, but his body spread over hers and held her down. He held her arms down with a single hand and groped her with the other. He slid his left hand down her stomach and underneath, forcing its way down to her core. Olivia thrashed underneath him and he bit down on her shoulder, drawing blood. She cried out and he released his hold on her hands to bring his arm up around her neck. He pulled her upward onto her elbows and knees and she had to brace on her forearms in order to breathe. His legs were outside hers again, holding them in together. His penis was hard and pressed uncomfortably against her backside as he leaned over her. His fingers sought her clit and rubbed harshly.

"No!" Olivia gasped, her eyes shutting as pain shot through her. The entire region between her legs was sore from his previous assault and he knew it. He pressed and pinched and squeezed, knowing that it was causing her pain but also knowing that the continued stimulation would have an effect whether she wanted it or not. He drew back for a moment and slid into her, her opening slick with his own juices. Her knees were trapped together between his and he grunted as he felt her tightness around him. He straightened, his right arm leaving her throat and instead seizing a lock of her hair, pulling back on it as he thrust into her; his left hand continued to work her clit.

He pounded against her core; his fingers continued to torment her and, with each thrust, his balls swung in to tap against her sensitive clit. Within a few moments, Olivia arched and her internal muscles clenched around him as he continued to pound her. He did not stop his ministrations. Olivia rode wave after wave as she screamed and sobbed. Every time she thought it would stop, he would continue to massage her and, as much as she hated it, his actions caused an immediate release of chemicals flooding into her brain. Even worse than the pain of him moving inside her, his hand yanking on her hair, the bruises covering her body, or his hand scrapping along her clit was the emotional pain of knowing that her rapist had brought her to orgasm.

He didn't remove his hand from her until the moment before he came. When he felt his balls tighten, he brought his hand around to her face and smeared his fingers across her lips. She tried to bite, but he held her head back by the hair. Her neck was pulled taut and he continued to drag her back, bending her head as far as it would go. Olivia had no choice but to open her mouth and he dipped in. As his seed once again released inside of her, Olivia tasted both of them on his fingers.

He collapsed on top of her once he finished and she felt him grow soft within her. She lay flat, crushed beneath him. James panted heavily against her ear, but Olivia was too exhausted and disgusted to even muster the energy to shudder in revulsion.

* * *

Elliot and Fin jumped out of the car as soon as they arrived on the scene. They flashed their badges at the police on scene as they ducked under the tape. "What's the status?"

A young cop almost jogged to keep up as they strode toward the house. "Can't go in there, detectives. We're waiting for the house to be cleared first. Suspect is reported to be armed and holed up in the basement with a hostage. The explosives blew when they tried to unlock the door twenty minutes ago."

"Has anyone tried to go in since then?"

"Sir, we lost a good officer on this and two more are in critical condition. We know the danger involved and we know that the hostage is an NYPD detective, but we have to wait for a hostage negotiator and the bomb squad."

Fin saw the tell-tale tightening in Elliot's jaw and reached out a hand to stop him before he could say anything else to the young cop. He dialed Cragen and held the phone up to his ear, still keeping an eye on Elliot.

"Hey Captain, you still watching the cameras? Can you tell me if there are any windows into the basement?"

Cragen and Munch both leaned over the computer, peering closely at each of the six windows. In the top of one of the frames, they could just barely see the indentation of a window sill with a sliver of light peeking through. "Yeah, it looks like there might be one alone one of the long walls."

"Thanks." He turned to the local cop. "Have your guys start going around the building looking for windows into the basement. Check behind bushes and anything that might be shielding an entrance. I wouldn't think there'd be any more bombs hidden around, but have them keep an eye out for trip wires and such. Keep'em quiet while they search and just tell us when you find it." He reached out for Elliot's shoulder. "Let's start around that way."


	8. Chapter 8

James got off Olivia and stood leaning against the back wall just above where her ankle restraint was connected. She scooted over to the side wall and sat next to the pallet, though pointedly not on it. She pulled the sheet off and started to cover herself with it, but James yanked it away, balled it up, and threw it across the room.

Olivia was still trembling from head to foot. She was sore, bruised, emotionally scarred, and terrified. She hugged herself and shook, occasionally sneaking glances in James' direction just to reassure herself that he was not coming for her again. Her tears were finally beginning to dry and as the weeping subsided it was replaced by a cold-burning rage that started to wrap itself in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

Fin and Elliot were checking behind the bushed along the side of the house when they got a call on the radio from the local cops. "Detectives, found the entrance: along the back of the house, near the south corner. Three windows, about 2.5x1.5 feet, covered with black paint or paper so we can't see in."

"Alright, we'll be right there."

As they ran around the building, Elliot called Cragen. "Cap'n, Fin and I are going into the basement through the windows. Give us the update on what's happening in the room."

"Olivia is sitting leaning against the wall with the windows, though it doesn't look like there are any directly above her. Perp is standing against the back wall. You come in through the windows, he'll be to your left. The gun is on the floor, about 10 feet from Olivia and 15-20 feet from the perp. He'd have to cross right in front of her to get it. I'd say you're clear to go in, just make sure you get a gun on him before he can get that gun on you."

"Yeah, that's the plan." He hung up and looked at Fin. "Let's go." They looked at the three windows. "Right, Olivia and the perp are on that side, so this is the window closest to them."

Fin picked up, "I`ll bust through that one and get a gun on him, you go in through the center one."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Olivia's head whipped around when she heard something bash against the glass. There was a splintering sound, but it did not break. James was frozen, his eyes locked on the window nearest to them. He lunged forward toward the gun and Olivia leapt at him. Her handcuffed hands came down around his neck from behind and she pulled back, jerking him away from the gun.

James fell to the floor, his hands reaching up to try to free himself. Olivia dropped down and anchored one knee in the center of his back. She continued to hold pressure on him as she ground the familiar words out through her teeth – "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You that the right to an attorney; if you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you by the state. Do you understand these rights?"

"Yes, yes!" James gasped out the words as they heard the window finally bust out of place and Fin's familiar voice shouted for them to freeze.

Olivia looked up at him, "It's about time you got here." The center window also shattered and Elliot squeezed his way through, his hands wrapped in his coat to protect him from the broken glass.

He drew his gun and walked over toward Olivia and James. He kicked Olivia's gun to the other side of the room and held his own trained on James' head. "Its okay, Olivia. We've got him."

Olivia looked down and realized that she was pulling so tightly around James' throat that he was on the verge of unconsciousness. She released him and stepped away as Elliot moved into her place and cuffed him.

Once James was secured, Elliot shrugged off his coat and draped it over Olivia's shoulders. Her eyes were red from crying, but there were no tears in them anymore. She glanced down at the cuffs that still bound her hands together, "All the keys are on the same ring with the one that opens the door. And if you can get the keys down here, opening the door from the inside will disable any other charges he might have set."

Elliot nodded and relayed the message up to Fin, who disappeared from the window as he went to get the keys. Elliot started to reach out toward her, but stopped when he saw her flinch away, just a fraction of an inch. It was a small movement, barely noticeable, but they both knew that he had seen it. "Olivia, we're here now. You're safe." His eyes searched her face, making note of every bruise. Her body was now covered with his coat; from what he had seen, her whole body was like this – more purple, brown and blue than anything else.

Olivia felt his eyes on her and looked up to meet his gaze. "I`m fine, Elliot. I don't need you to treat me like a vic."

"Okay." His voice was still the calm tone he used when speaking with victims. Olivia hated it.

"Hey!" Fin's head appeared in the window. He tossed the keys in; Olivia caught them in both hands and quickly found the keys to unlock the handcuffs and then the ankle restraint. "Had to go into the building to get 'em; local uni's threw a fit. Just be careful when you're walking out. It is ground floor, but it looks like some of the supports holding up the second floor might have been compromised. 'Livia, brought you some clothes." He tossed a clean, fresh pair of scrubs down and Elliot caught them. "Some of the ambulance guys had extras on hand. And got some pants for that scum too." He dropped the pants from a pair of old and ragged scrubs down onto the floor. "Dropped it at some point, got a little dirty. Don't think he'll mind. Need anything else or should I just meet you at the front?"

"Thanks, Fin. We'll be up there in a second."

Elliot took the coat as Olivia turned her back to him and shrugged it off. He held it up as a barrier while she donned the scrubs. Then he roughly manhandled the pants onto the perp. James was dazed still from being brought down by Olivia; he offered no resistance as Elliot hauled him upright. "Let's go."

Olivia handed him the keys and he went up the stairs first, accompanying James. Elliot unlocked the door and walked out into the house. The two men went first; Elliot stepped carefully, making sure that the areas were stable before Olivia followed. He walked out the front door and James caught sight of the ambulances and cop cars stationed in a semi-circle around the front of his house with their headlights on to combat the growing dark of the evening. There were almost two dozen cops and medical personnel on-scene. "All this for me?"

Elliot pushed him forward toward the stairs down off the front porch. He was not sorry when the perp tripped and stumbled down the first few. "Not for you, you bastard."

Olivia appeared in the doorway just as Elliot and James finished descending the stairs and Elliot pushed him into the back of a squad car. Fin was standing by the side of the door waiting for her. Olivia stood in the door frame blinking against the light as all the police started to clap. Fin spoke as he came to stand right beside her, "Local detectives on scene got preliminary statements from the girls. They all said that you saved them, took care of them, got them out of there alive. Story getting around says you're a hero."

* * *

It was well after one in the morning before the local hospital had finished the rape kit and inventoried all her bruises, bites, and marks. Elliot had stayed at the hospital with her – Fin had escorted all the girls except Isabella back to the city after the hospital released them around 11pm. Isabella had required surgery to remove the bullet from her shoulder and had to stay overnight. Her parents had arrived around 10:00 and were in the room with her, waiting until morning to be able to take her home.

Local police lent Elliot an unmarked car to take Olivia back to the city. Olivia curled up in the passenger seat and pressed her forehead to the window. She was still wearing just a set of scrubs and had a hospital blanket draped over her legs. Her mind was spinning with the events of the past twenty-four hours.

They didn't speak during the ride home. Elliot pulled up to her apartment building and pulled her keys out of one of his pockets. "I got copies made before yours went into evidence. Figured you'd be needing them."

Olivia reached out and took it, but did not get out of the car yet.

"Want me to walk you up?" She nodded, embarrassed at her hesitancy to go into her own apartment building.

They exited the car and went up the elevator. Olivia unlocked the door and flipped on the light switch. She walked straight over to pick up her secondary gun from its usual hiding place and then walked through the apartment, checking to make sure that all windows were locked and her place secure. Elliot stood in the doorway and watched her. "Do you want me to stay? I can camp out on the couch."

"No, no, I`ll be fine. Thanks though."

"Okay, just come by the station sometime tomorrow and we'll get your statement." He headed to the door and paused, shifting his weight between his feet. Olivia looked at him, waiting for him to say whatever was on his mind, but he sighed and turned to walk out. "Good night."

Olivia locked the door behind him and went into her bedroom. She pulled out some clean underwear, a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and then carefully stripped off the scrubs. It hurt when she moved her arms up over her head, but she ignored the pain. As she stepped into the bathroom, she caught sight of herself in the mirror.

Her body was a mass of bruises. Her arms and neck were covered in his dark handprints; both her eyes were blackened and she had a split lip and a gash across her cheek from where he had hit her with the gun. There were hickeys and bite marks across her neck, shoulders, and collarbone. Her stomach was purple from the various times he had kicked her and her breasts were bruised from his fondling. She turned and looked over her shoulder. Her back was not as bad – there were a few marks over her shoulder blades where there was less padding to cushion the blows from the times he had slammed her into the wall or against the floor. The bite mark on her left shoulder was covered with gauze from where the doctors had applied antibiotics. She didn't dare to look below her waist and see the bruises that his body had left on her inner thighs.

Olivia soaked in the shower, scrubbing every inch of her skin as the scalding water beat down upon her. The room filled with steam and still she scrubbed. When she finally finished, she dried off quickly, glad that the mirror was fogged so that she didn't have to see herself again.

She turned back to the bed and swept up her clothes, hastily putting them on. Olivia crawled into bed and placed her gun on the bedside table next to her. She left the light on and turned over, pulling the blankets up to her chin. She stared at the wall and waited for morning.

* * *

The sun streaming in through the windows woke her at around 7:30. Olivia was surprised that she had slept at all, but somehow she had managed a few hours of restless sleep. She got up and dressed quickly, making sure to choose a long-sleeve turtleneck that would cover most of the marks. She went into the bathroom, reached for a box of make-up and began the work of covering up her bruises as much as possible.

Everyone looked up at her when Olivia walked into the squad room just before nine. She ignored their questioning looks and walked straight over to her desk; Elliot was sitting at his own desk reading a file, which he closed as soon as Olivia neared. She pretended not to notice that. "What have we got?"

"You in here to give your statement?"

"Yeah, and to do my job."

Elliot looked over at Cragen, unsure. "Alright, let's go somewhere and sit down so you can tell me what happened."

Olivia grabbed a cup of coffee for herself before they went into one of the side rooms. Elliot put the pad of paper on the table and sat, angling his chair toward hers. "So, let's start at the beginning."

Olivia went through the story, giving the specific details as much as she could; her police training had taught her to make note of everything and her report was amazingly accurate. She spoke without pause, her voice emotionally unattached and in complete cop mode. Elliot didn't know quite how to respond to this, so he just let her talk. She knew all the questions he would ask, so he didn't need to prod her. She described the events exactly as she had reported hundreds of other abductions and rapes, with clinical terminology and precision. Elliot wrote hurriedly to keep up with her and his hand was cramping by the time she finished.

"Now it's your turn. Tell me what you have on the case."

Elliot hesitated, "'Liv, I`m not sure if I can."

"What do you mean?" Olivia didn't need to wait for a response. She whirled out of the room and, sure enough, Cragen was standing by the entrance to his office, waiting for her to come out.

"Benson, my office."

Olivia waited until the door was closed behind her before speaking. "Am I off this case, Captain?"

"Yes. You're not just a cop on this case; you're one of the victims too. You can't work the case without seriously compromising it. Why don't you take some personal time; God knows you work hard enough, you deserve it."

"I don't need personal time, Captain, you know me. All I need is to do my job. I can do this and I want to help nail this bastard."

"He's already nailed. Trust me, we've got him solid and there is no way he can squirm his way out from under the needle." He saw that Olivia was not going to budge and sighed. "Go talk with Huang."

"I really don't think that's –"

"That was not a suggestion, detective. If he clears you to return to duty, fine. But understand this: you are eyes-only. You don't touch anything, don't talk to Archer, he doesn't see you, you don't see him. Got it?"

"Got it, Cap'n."

"Good. Huang's waiting for you."

Olivia smiled. "Thought you'd been planning on sending me home."

Cragen shrugged. "I knew you'd be coming in here and that you'd be too much of a pain in the ass to just go home. I figured it would be best to have Huang on stand-by for when you showed up."

Cragen went to open the door for her, but stopped with his hand on the doorknob. "Olivia… we're glad to have you back." He saw the brief moment that her confident mask slipped and revealed the contorted emotions writhing beneath. But then Olivia put her cop-face back on.

"Yeah, me too."


	9. Chapter 9

As Olivia walked back out into the squad room, Munch handed her a copy of the paper. "You made headlines, Olivia." She looked down at the thick black text:

**One of New York's Finest Singlehandedly Brings Down Kidnapper**  
_The recent rash of kidnappings came to an abrupt halt when the abductor chose to target an NYPD Detective. Initial reports allege that this detective ensured the safety and release of 5 of the 6 kidnapped girls and subdued the kidnapper before backup arrived on scene. NYPD has not yet made any statements regarding this matter, save to announce that the name of the detective involved will not be released for safety reasons. _

"Great. This just had to hit the press."

Fin sat perched on the edge of his desk to join in the conversation. "Yeah, my bet is that it was the local boys from Teaneck. They were kinda over-awed by you, ya'know… Not every day they see a kick-ass detective from the city come and bust some guy's ass in his own basement."

"That's not exactly what happened…"

"Yeah, I know. It's always more complicated than people make it out to be. Anyway, Cap'n's trying to keep the press quiet on this one. Besides what little's already been leaked, they're not getting anything else."

A couple of uni's strolled into the squad room, pushing a large cart filled with electronic equipment. "Hey, unh… we've got the computer stuff from the Archer place – where do you want it?" Fin got up to show them where to go.

Olivia looked at Munch. "What computer stuff?"

A weaker man would have squirmed under the strength of her gaze as Olivia stared him down. "Archer had hidden cameras in the basement. He periodically uploaded videos to a website that he sent us and last night he had a live-feed streaming."

Olivia internally recoiled as the words reverberated in her head. _Hidden cameras… videos… live feed_. "Cameras…" she whispered. "So you… everybody… saw…?"

"Olivia, I`m sorry…"

She turned on her heel, refusing to lose her composure in the middle of the station. She walked to the crib, her steps even and measured though she wanted to run.

Once in the crib, she shut the door and slid down against it to rest with her head on her knees. She was on the verge of tears but concentrated on taking one slow, even breath after the other, refusing to give way to crying again. The bastard had taken enough from her; he could not have any more of her tears. She wrapped her arms around her knees and willed herself to disappear inside her mind.

She pushed every thought out of her head, mentally hitting Ctrl-A and Delete every time the images of the past events tried to sneak back in. She retreated from the reality of it, pushing away at the pain in her body, the tears in her heart and the scars on her soul. She pushed it all back, further and further, trying to escape.

It was a full hour before a knock at the door disturbed her reverie. Olivia had not moved from her spot up against the door. She lifted her head and called out, "who is it?"

"It's just me, Olivia." Huang's voice was gentle, yet firm. "Can I come in?"

She stood and opened the door, waving him inside. "Sure."

Huang stepped into the room and waited for Olivia to make the next move. She headed to one of the cots and sat perched on the edge. Huang sat on the adjacent bed, but not directly across from her. He faced her, not wanting her to feel crowded.

"You want to talk?"

"Not really, but does that matter?"

"It does."

Olivia felt her temper rising inexplicably. "Let's just get this over with. Cragen said we have to talk, so let's just talk."

"Alright. Where would you like to begin?"

Olivia shrugged.

"You were raped." It was not a question.

There was a small nod, but Olivia did not make eye contact.

"You saved five girls."

"But not all of them." Her whisper was so soft, Huang barely heard it.

"No. Maria died. Would you like to tell me about that?"

"What's to tell? I screwed up and she died."

Huang leaned forward slightly. "Why do you say you screwed up?"

Olivia evaded the question. "Munch said that he posted things on the internet. Did you see that?"

"No. Everyone was very careful to protect your privacy as much as possible. Cragen ordered everyone out whenever a new video came up. They only watched it because they had to try to find any clues to your location."

Olivia inhaled slowly, filling her lungs with clean air and then pushing it all back out, equally slowly. "But you know what was on them."

"Cragen told me briefly before I came in here to talk to you. No specifics. I'd like to hear your side, though."

Olivia took another breath. "When I woke up there… and I saw those girls… I knew I had to protect them. It didn't matter that I was chained up or that I couldn't reach them, they were my responsibility. And that helped me. I've seen hostage situations before; I've talked with kidnap victims before… I could talk to them and try to help them, even if I couldn't do much else.

"Then, when _he_ came downstairs, I thought I could negotiate with him… I was hoping I could convince him to let the girls go. I thought… I just wanted to protect them."

"And Maria?"

"He had a thing for her, molested her more than he did the other girls. His punishment… for me… was that if I did something wrong, he would hurt one of the girls."

"How did that make you feel?"

"Furious, at first."

"And later?"

"Guilty."

"Why?"

"He told me that… if I gave him oral sex, he would let one of the girls go. If I didn't, he said he would shoot one of them. So… I did it." Huang wondered if Olivia was even aware of the fact that she was biting her lip with every pause. "I got down on my knees and I closed my eyes and I just wanted it to be over. But I got through it because I told myself that I was just doing what I had to in order to free one of the girls. And so, as awful as it was, I still felt like, in some small way, I had some control. Of myself, my body, the situation. Like if I could somehow manipulate him into freeing one of the girls, it would be worth it."

"But that didn't happen."

"No." She took another deep breath. "After he finished with me, he shot Maria. None of the bullets were instantly fatal. It took several minutes for her to bleed out. And, while she was bleeding, while she was dying, he sat there and told me that it was my fault. And I wanted to ignore him and just get past him. Maybe if I had been able to get to her and staunch the bleeding, I could have saved her. But he was there, over me and all I could see was him and all I could hear was him saying that I had screwed it up… that I had killed her."

"Do you believe him? That it was your fault?"

"No." Olivia shook her head vehemently. "I know that it wasn't. Damn it, I did what he wanted. And even still… he killed her."

"What happened afterward?"

"As long as I could focus on how to protect the others, I was fine. I talked to them a lot, tried to keep their minds off things – and my mind off of things. I knew I wanted to get them out of there, so I made sure they knew what to do if they got free."

"And you did get them out of there."

"Yes."

"Tell me about it?" Huang knew that they were getting close to talking about the rape and he didn't want to push her.

"I knocked the gun out of his hand. I got the keys and threw them to Anna. He and I fought for the gun while the girls unlocked themselves and escaped. I told them to lock the basement door behind them, to make sure that he wouldn't come after them."

"But that left you locked in the basement with him."

"Yes." Olivia's face was pale, but she pressed on. "He was so angry. I thought he was going to shoot me, but he dropped the gun and came at me. I tried to fight him, but I was still tied to the wall and my hands were handcuffed. I managed to keep him away for a while, but then... he raped me." She squeezed her eyes shut for a second as she pushed those memories away again. "And afterward, I heard the bomb go off upstairs. I knew the police were there, but I knew that they couldn't come down. I knew that I was alone with him still."

Tears began to well in her eyes, but Olivia blinked them back and struggled to get control of her emotions again.

"The second time was worse." Her voice was low and carried a note of defeat. "I barely fought him at all. Maybe if I had, I could have avoided it. Probably not. I was… hurt, still from the first time. My legs just shook… and… I couldn't… I was weak. And he grabbed me and he raped me again and I _knew_ that there was a crowd of policemen right outside the house, but none of them were coming for me. And I cried and screamed, but he just kept… touching me. He made me feel it."

"How so?"

Olivia's eyes were locked on the floor. "I had an orgasm while he was raping me. He made me… and I didn't want to, but my body responded to him in that way and I _hate_ it."

"Olivia, how many times has a victim told you that she had an orgasm during forced intercourse? You know that it is not at all uncommon; the body's response to fear is heightened senses and increased adrenaline – both of which are commonly present preceding an orgasm. It doesn't make what he did to you right or mean that you wanted it or were asking for it in any way. All it means is that your body responded to a stimulus."

"I know. And I've had this same conversation with vics before. It's just that… I don't want to be a victim. I never want to be a victim, but now… " Huang could tell that she was about done. Her face was drawn and tired and her voice was rapidly becoming harried. As good as it was to talk things out, there was also a limit and Olivia's limit on how much she could stand to talk about feelings had never been high.

"Olivia, you just lived through a traumatic experience and you not only survived, but you fought to ensure the safety of those around you as well. He did things to you that he had no right to do and now you have to learn how to deal with that. Yes, you are a victim of a crime, but you can choose how to live with that. You are strong and you are capable. Recovering from and learning to live with something like this will not be easy, but I know you and I know that you are stronger than anything that bastard or any other of the hundreds of scum you've put away can throw at you."

The corner of her mouth twitched upward. It was not often Huang used such vocabulary. Huang noted the beginnings of the smile, even though a very small one.

"Now, I am going to recommend to Cragen that you are fully fit to return to duty. However –" he regarded her seriously. "I strongly urge that you talk to me or some other psychiatrist – whomever you feel most comfortable with – at least once a week for the next few months. In the meantime, you need to talk to Cragen because I know he wants to restrict your working on this case at least."

Huang got up and walked to the door. "You know that I am here, any time, if you want to talk. Anything you say to me is completely confidential. You know that I have to give Cragen an initial report, but besides that, everything stays between us."

"Thank you."

"Just come on downstairs and get back to work whenever you feel ready."

* * *

"How's our girl doing?" Huang and Cragen were in the office with the door closed.

"All things considered, she's holding up remarkably well. It seems that for now she is trying to fight off the emotional impact of what's happened, but she is not denying what happened or that it had an impact on her. From what I`ve seen of Olivia in the past, she handles herself remarkably well and will deal with that in stages as it comes. I recommended that she begin some sort of regular therapy immediately as a way to deal with those emotions once they start to slip through. I would ask that you not make this mandatory for her, though… A big thing for her in the coming weeks will be her need to feel in control of her environment. If you were to order her into therapy, that might prove counterproductive. I think she will probably find an outside therapist, rather than one who works for the police force. It will be good for her to separate the trauma from her police work as much as possible. Working again – especially being able to be involved even nominally with this case – will be good for her. It will help her stay balanced in her normal routine. You and I should both keep an eye on her and be aware of potential issues, but my professional recommendation is that Olivia is fully capable of knowing her limits and dealing with what has happened as she sees fit. She knows that she has the option of coming back to work now and that she also is free to take some time off if she wants it. I think we need to allow her to find her own footing."


	10. Chapter 10

Olivia stayed in the crib for a while after Huang left. She was again on the verge of tears and was furious with herself for it. _Get it together, Benson_," she mentally growled. She bit back the urge to cry and instead stood and began to pace. She set a brisk stride, weaving through the bunks and holding her arms crossed firmly over her chest as though that would keep the memories at bay. Eventually the pacing became its own form of meditation as she continued with each successive step.

She bit her lip absentmindedly until she tasted the distinct iron tang on her tongue. She reached up one hand and felt her lower lip. Her fingertips came away with a spot of red on them and Olivia stared at the crimson droplets. Her tongue flicked out to wipe away the welling blood on her lip and she was overwhelmed by a montage of memories.

_The cold blade of Gitano's knife sliced her neck and the ground rushed up to claim her. Her own hand pressed down on the wound as her blood spilled out. _

_Harris clenched her jaw in his hand. "…what every man wants. And you're going to give it to me." The springs on that old, filthy mattress at Sealview poked up at her as Harris flung her down and she scrambled to get away. _

_She crouched behind a row of boxes as Harris came down the hall, running his baton against the chain link barriers. _

_She was handcuffed, on the ground; Harris was in front of her. The cold metal clenched around her wrists and cut into the skin as she struggled, her voice hoarse from yelling. Her eyes squeezed shut against the tears and she pressed her lips together as Harris' voice echoed in her ears: "Bite me and you're dead."_

_The handcuffs biting into her flesh were no longer Harris's, but Archer's. It was Archer standing in front of her, Archer pushing his foulness down her throat, Archer's hands holding her head as he thrust into her._

_Then he was on top of her, his hands burned her skin like a brand, marking her. His voice resonated above her, "Mine… dirty, filthy whore…stupid bitch… your fault… you screwed up… I want to see the look on your face… Look at me!"_

_Green eyes danced above her, searing into her soul. He was all around her – the taste of them mingled on her lips as he released himself within her, the stench of sex and sweat choked her nostrils; his body covered her, leaving not one inch of her skin untouched. His voice, his words – the sickening noises he made as he invaded her body over and over again all rose to a crescendo. _

Olivia slammed the heel of her hand against the wall and the string of images running through her mind stopped. Only the memory of Archer's green eyes remained. She shook her head, trying to free herself from his gaze, but still his eyes remained – cruel, accusing, taunting and amused with her pain.

* * *

It was well past noon before Olivia emerged from the crib and slipped down to Cragen's office. He did not hear her enter but looked up from his work when the door clicked closed behind her.

"Olivia. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Captain."

"Are you sure you want to come back to work already? You know that you are free to take the time if you feel you need it…"

"I don't."

"Alright then. The Archer case – I`ve already said no direct contact with him or any of the evidence. That stands. Also, if you want to look at anything, there has to be someone else with you. You can't be alone with any of the evidence, understood? I`m not going to let this fall apart if some lawyer says we broke procedure because you're a detective. And if you want to come back to work now, you're on desk duty for a bit. No going out in the field, no interviews, nothing." He saw her displeasure and qualified his last condition. "Just for a week or so. The media's hunting on this one, they got a hint of a story and want the full scoop. The whole department is keeping a low profile for a bit until this blows over." Cragen had thought up that excuse on the fly because he knew Olivia wouldn't like the restriction to desk duty, but really it was a valid point.

Olivia nodded curtly. "Understood."

"Good." He had finished what he needed to say in his official capacity as her captain. "Then… is there anything I can do to help you, Olivia?"

"No, I`m fine." She saw his unbelief. "Really, I`ll be fine. I just need to get back to work." She forced a smile to reassure him as she stepped out of the office and into the bull pen.

She worked on paperwork for the rest of the afternoon, burying herself in the hum-drum of the bureaucratic side of police work to escape from the business of everyone and everything around her.

Hey." Elliot's voice broke her reverie and Olivia realized she had reread the same report from an old case file over ten times. "You want to get a bite to eat?"

Olivia pushed her chair back from the desk. "Yeah, actually… I`m starved." She glanced at the clock. Somehow the day had passed and it was already well past seven.

"Let's go; I`m buying." They left the building together and walked a few blocks to a nearby deli. They sat and Olivia began scanning the menu. By the time the waiter came to take their drink order, Olivia was all set to order a mountain of food.

"Whoa, you gonna make me regret offering to buy?"

Olivia shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess I haven't eaten anything in a while." She paused, trying to remember the last time she'd had food. "Not for two days, actually."

The waiter brought two beers to the table and set them down. "Thanks." Elliot ignored the glass with ice and brought the bottle up to his mouth. "Are you telling me you haven't eaten since before he abducted you?"

"Yeah, so aren't you glad you're paying for this one?" Olivia smirked.

Elliot groaned and dramatically rested his head in his hands with his elbows resting on the table. "I'll be broke before we leave here."

They carried on a light banter through the meal. Olivia packed away a solid amount of food, but nursed her beer slowly. After they had both finished eating, Olivia leaned forward, her arms crossed on the table in front of her with both elbows resting on the smooth wooden surface.

"So what all is there in the case?"

Elliot did not have to ask which case she was referring to, even though they always had between ten and fifteen open cases just for the two of them.

"The videos are… pretty incriminating. Plus the statements from all the girls and you, the case is a slam dunk. We've got him solid on more felony charges than I can count."

"Well, let's see… he's got at least 7 abductions, rape and battery of Lily Attica, 6 counts of sexual humiliation of a minor, one count of sexual assault of a minor, murder of Maria Lopez, aggravated assault of a police officer, rape of a police officer, murder of a police officer and attempted murder of two others resulting in grievous bodily harm… I`d say that's a pretty long list."

Elliot sipped his beer. "He's looking at death, no questions asked. That man will never see free sky again. Only thing we haven't figured out is why he did all this. He's got no priors, no record of any sort. Man doesn't even have a parking ticket to his name. Then all of the sudden, he goes off and does something like this. And the bastard planned it – he had everything set up, everything planned; he had access to your building a month ago working up to this."

"El… I think I know him from somewhere."

"What? Have you seen him following you? Was he stalking you? Where have you seen him?"

"That's the thing, I can't figure it out… I know he's familiar, but I don't know where I know him from. And… this was not a random attack. He wanted me. He used those girls, he sent the pictures to SVU to get me on the case. He planned in advance to get in my building… Everything was set up to get me; it was almost like the girls were just an afterthought or a way to get things started."

"Have you checked? Looked into his background at all, see if you can find the connection?"

"No. Cragen doesn't want me anywhere near the case. And to be honest, he's right. Anything I go near is tainted."

"Well, Fin and I are gonna have a little sit-down with him first thing tomorrow… after that maybe you and I can go through and try to see where you know him from. If we figure that out, we might be able to establish motive."

Elliot paid the bill and they started to head back to the station. Olivia breathed in the cool air. She and Elliot were walking in stride and she decided to take this chance to ask, "El… how bad were the videos?"

Elliot stopped and stood stock still. Olivia turned to look him in the face. "They were bad. He had six different cameras set up; three of them were focused on you."

"So it showed everything."

He nodded hesitantly. "There were three videos total. The first two he edited before posting, so he could control which camera angle we saw at any given time. The third was a live broadcast of all six feeds."

"Was the site… were there any other hits on the site?"

"No, it wasn't a public site. We only had the URL because he gave it to us. ISPs show that the only computers that connected to it were his and those in the station."

Olivia nodded but didn't say anything. She turned and resumed trudging toward the station. Elliot followed a pace or two behind, unsure of what he could do or say to help his partner.

* * *

Olivia scarcely slept that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw James Archer's face mocking her. She felt his hands on her body, felt him move inside of her. When she did drift off to sleep, it was only to wake again less than an hour later. She jolted awake, biting back her screams; her body poured with cold sweat that ran soaked the sheets until they clung to her skin.

Olivia repeated this cycle, trying to find rest only to be forced back to wakefulness by the living nightmare that haunted her. At 4:30, she gave up on trying to get any more sleep and put on a pot of coffee.

She was the first one to arrive at the precinct, at about 5:30. By the time the others arrived, she had downed almost two pots of coffee and was busy working. "Elliot." He had barely made it into the squad room before Olivia was already there, next to him, leading him over to the computer. "I need to see a background on Archer."

Elliot took her coffee and gulped it down. "Ok. Where do you want to start?"

Olivia was not going to chance missing anything. If indeed she did know him from somewhere, she was determined to find out how. "At the beginning. Start with birth and walk it forward."

Elliot sat in front of the computer and Olivia pulled up a chair and watched over his shoulder. "There's no birth certificate for Archer, James on record… checking name-change records now…" Olivia ran her hand through her hair "Oh, oh, here we go! James Archer was born 'James McKelvey;' had his name formally changed on his eighteenth birthday."

"McKelvey, McKelvey… seems familiar, but I still don't know." Olivia searched her memory but was still drawing a blank.

"Let's see… parents died in a car crash when he was five, went to live with his uncle, Archer McKelvey –"

"– who I arrested for sex with a minor. He was in his thirties and the girl was sixteen. Her parents insisted on pushing the statutory rape charge and he went to prison for 2 years. His thirteen-year-old nephew was placed with child services."

Elliot pulled up Archer McKelvey's record. "McKelvey died four months into his sentence. Guards said that some of the guys on the block were roughing him up at night. One day he tried to fight back and pissed off the wrong people. A fight started and by the time the C.O.'s got in, he was down."

"So what happened to James during all this?"

"Well, his records from his time with child services are sealed… but he'll be arriving shortly. I can ask him."

"When is he supposed to get here?" Elliot didn't have to answer.

"Benson!" Cragen beckoned Olivia over to the office, a phone in one hand. As soon as she walked in, he closed the door and spoke into the phone. "Alright, we're clear. Bring him in." Olivia looked out the blinds as James Archer was escorted into one of the interview rooms.

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**Reviews are nice and well appreciated.**


	11. Chapter 11

Trevor Langan sat down beside his client. "James, I am going to advise you not to say anything."

James ignored him and leaned forward. His hands were handcuffed in front of him and rested on the desk. Elliot sat back in the chair directly across the table. "Can I talk to Olivia?"

Fin spoke up from the corner, "Why would you want to do that?"

"I want to see her; want to ask her how she feels."

"Well, sorry, but I don't think she wants to talk to you."

"Don't I have the right to face my accuser?"

"In trial. This ain't trial."

James switched tactics. "I`m sure she wants to talk to me. She's probably watching right now. Aren't you, Olivia?" James stood up and walked over to the large one-way mirror that filled almost the whole wall. On the other side of the glass, Olivia sucked in her breath. She knew that he couldn't see her, but still… Her rapist was standing only feet away from her, looking right at her, talking to her… Huang noticed Olivia's sudden tension when Archer approached the glass. He watched as she forced herself to exhale slowly and resume normal breathing, her eyes locked on Archer. Alex and Cragen both continued to watch the scene in the interview room.

Elliot had not moved from his chair, nor turned when Archer got up to walk behind him to the window. "Why don't you sit down and tell us about it?"

Archer circled back around to his seat, but kept his eyes on the glass. "She had to be punished."

Langan stood. "That's it. I think my client and I will be leaving."

"No." Archer did not move. "No, they need to hear it. They need to know how that bitch ruined everything. It's all her fault and she deserved everything she got and more." His eyes met Elliot's. "She took away the only family I had. She locked him up and let him die. He didn't do anything wrong and she killed him."

"He was a grown man, having sex with a sixteen year old girl!"

Archer looked away from the glass and met Elliot's eyes. "So? She wanted it. They all do. But her…. _Detective Benson_… she just had to push it. My uncle was a good man. He took care of me; he raised me, taught me to be a man. But that whore Olivia threw him in jail. It's her fault he's dead. It's her fault I ended up in foster homes. And then when I got raped and beaten up by the older boys in group homes, it should have been her that was supposed to protect me, but she didn't. She never came to the homes, never saw what went on there… she ruined my life and then didn't care to come around and see the mess she made, the _hell_ she put me into."

He leaned forward and licked his lips. When he spoke again, his voice had dropped a full octave. "Did you watch? Did you see her? Did you see what a slut she is – how she came to me willingly, to service me? How she loved it when I made her cum? It's a pity my cameras didn't have an audio feature… you should have heard her scream. Did you know that she begged? Her! _Detective Olivia Benson_… she begged _me_. I had control of that bitch and she begged me."

Langan rubbed his forehead wearily. Elliot's voice was low and menacing; "Anything else you'd like to share?"

"If she hadn't fucked everything up by letting those girls out, I would have broken her until she begged me to take her, until she crawled to me on hands and knees, ready to do anything and everything I wanted. I would have owned her body and soul. And she might have gotten away; she might have saved her body, but…" His eyes seemed to reach right through the glass to Olivia. "I still own her soul."

* * *

"Your Honor, the people request remand. The defendant has no ties to the community; no family, an online job, and financial resources sufficient to make flight risk an obvious concern."

"Defense?"

"No objections, Your Honor."

"Very well then. James Archer, you are hereby remanded without bail. You will be held in custody until trial."

As Alex stepped out of the courtroom, Langan slipped over and handed her a sleeve of paper. "Our first motion."

She started to read, her face impassive.

By the time Alex reached the 1-6, she was fuming. All conversation in the squad room stopped when she walked in. "Who Mirandized Archer?"

"What's this about?" Cragen asked.

"This!" Alex handed him the papers that Langan had given her. "Langan is arguing that his client's rights were violated because he was improperly Mirandized and he wants to throw out the whole case. Now tell me, which one of you read him his rights?" Her glare was fixed on Elliot and Fin.

"I did." Olivia stood up.

* * *

Olivia got home that night and locked the door behind her. She sat on the couch and curled up with her knees to her chest, staring blankly across the room. After a while she turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. There was nothing that interested her. She muted it but left it on. She wrapped her arms around her body, hugging herself as her chin dropped and she fought not to cry.

All it took was one wayward tear to start the flood. There was no weeping or sobbing, no fighting it. A cascade of anguish and shame poured down Olivia's face as she stared with a glazed expression at the silent figures moving on the TV.

She sat there long after the tears dried.

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**Please review and let me know what you think so far**


	12. Chapter 12

Olivia groaned when she woke up. Her whole body was stiff, though fortunately the soreness between her legs had started to fade. She rose from the couch where she had finally fallen asleep around 2am the previous night. She stumbled into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee before heading to the bathroom to shower and change.

The bruises that covered her body were starting to drift more towards yellow-green than the angry purple they had been two days before.

When she had finished dressing, the smell of fresh coffee filled her apartment. She poured herself a cup and rummaged through the chronically near-empty fridge until she found something suitable to eat.

She pulled a business card out of one of the kitchen drawers and set it on the counter. Olivia ate breakfast as she regarded the card. It took a solid fifteen minutes for her to work up to pulling out her phone and dialing the number. "Hi, this is Olivia Benson. I`m a former patient and I was wondering if I could schedule a time to come in."

* * *

Early the following morning, Alex and Langan stood in Judge Petrovsky's chambers. "Mr. Langan, Ms. Cabot tells me that your client was in fact Mirandized by one of the detectives on scene. You were present during his interview. Why do you say his rights were violated?"

"Your Honor, the detective who read my client his rights was Detective Benson."

"I fail to see the problem." Petrovsky regarded Langan sternly.

"My client was read his rights while being strangled by a naked woman who failed to identify herself as a police officer and did not inform him of the reason for his arrest!"

Alex turned on Langan with fury evident in every aspect of her face and body language. "This is ridiculous! He _knew_ that she was a police officer, as evidenced by the fact that he called her by her title while he held her captive."

"She alleges that he called her 'detective.'"

"_And_ she was carrying her gun and badge when he abducted her. Her badge was recovered from his bedside table; there is no way that he can deny knowing that she was NYPD."

"Is this true, Mr. Langan?"

"Yes, Your Honor. But the fact that he may have had prior knowledge that she was police does not excuse the fact that she did not identify herself or that she was sitting on top of him naked and had him in a chokehold."

"He was going for a gun. She used necessary force to restrain him and, as for her state of dress, Detective Benson would not have been naked if she had not just been _raped_ by your client."

"It is still standard procedure for an arresting officer to state the crime for which they are arresting a suspect. Detective Benson did not do so and therefore the arrest is invalid.

"Mr. Langan, it may be procedure, but it is not required by law. You're client has heard the charges against him at the arraignment, heard his Miranda warning and responded that he understood his rights, and obviously understood them well enough to ask for a lawyer. Therefore, I am inclined to agree with Ms. Cabot. The arrest stands."

Langan nodded his head toward her and excused himself. Alex started out the door, but Judge Petrovsky stopped her. "Ms. Cabot, I realize that things get personal when a member of the force is a target. Mr. Langan was right in this much – it was a sloppy arrest to allow a victim to be the detective who Mirandized the suspect. I trust that there will be no more such errors in judgment?"

Alex swallowed. "Of course not, Your Honor."

"Good. I'm glad that we're clear on that."

* * *

It was almost a week later when Olivia walked into the therapist's office. The bruises had faded almost completely and those few that remained were easily hidden with enough make-up. The therapist opened her office door and spotted Olivia in the waiting area. "Olivia! How are you?" she said as she beckoned Olivia into her office. Her trained eyes noticed the bags under the detective's eyes and the slight hesitation in her step. All of these had been present when she first started treating Olivia for PTSD but had disappeared before Olivia had left her care.

Olivia gave a sad half-smile. "I've been better."

"Are the nightmares back?" They both sat; the therapist in an armchair and Olivia in the center of a white sofa.

Olivia's lips were suddenly dry and she hesitated, trying to find the words to speak. She reached up a hand to brush a lock of hair away from her face. "More like new nightmares."

* * *

It takes time before a case actually goes to trial, but it seemed like a blur to Olivia. The nightmares she faced during the days kept her busy; and the nightmares she faced at night kept her terrified. It took three weeks for her to be able to sleep through the night; even when she did, it was a restless, tormented sleep that left her more exhausted than when she had laid down.

"Olivia?"

Olivia had been so distracted that she hadn't even noticed Alex's approach. "Alex, hey."

"Trial on the Archer case starts in three days… we need to start going over your testimony."

Olivia pushed back in her chair, stretching out her legs. "Yeah… um… when do you want to start?"

"Whenever works for you… Now, even, if you're free."

The stack of papers on Olivia's desk was high, but not abnormally so. She glanced at the pile and decided that there was nothing in there that couldn't wait for a bit. "Sure." She looked around and spotted an open room. "Over there work for you?"

The two women walked over to the empty room, both of them feeling increasingly nervous about the daunting topic ahead of them. They sat with their chairs angled toward one another on adjacent sides of the table.

"I've spoken with the girls and their families; none of them are going to take the stand. Of the six, Maria was the only eighteen-year-old. The others are all underage and have chosen not to allow their identities to be made public. So, two things then. You are the star witness. Ms. Attica has agreed to testify, but you are the only one we have who was in that room. Also, whenever you mention the any of the girls, here is a list with their names corresponding to a number. That number is all you can use to identify an individual girl when you give your testimony.

"Now, you know that his counselor is restricted in what he can ask you about, but my bet is that he will be pushing the limits at every chance because you're a part of SVU. He might say that your choice of job puts you at a higher risk; he might ask you about previous sexual assaults or attempted assaults. I'll block him whenever his questions get out of line, but you need to be prepared for things to get ugly."

"Alex, I've done this before. You don't need to walk me through the process; I've been in the courtroom with you a hundred times."

"Yes; as an officer of the law, as a detective and investigator and witness. Never as a victim. This time is different. Langan has no case and so all he can do is try to make things as nasty for you as possible and try to muddy the waters."

"I can handle anything he's got."

Alex regarded her, her clear blue eyes clouded with concern. "I hope you're right. But we still need to go over everything beforehand. So let's start at the beginning. What happened when you left the station that night?"

"I drove home, went up to my floor. I was attacked from behind. He used a taser to immobilize me and then a chloroform-soaked cloth to knock me out. I never even had the chance to fight him then."

"Did you see his face at this point?"

"No, not until I woke up in the basement."

They did not leave that small room until hours later, far into the afternoon. Olivia held iron control of her emotions as they walked through every detail of the day she spent in captivity. She had repeated the story so many times; to the doctors at the hospital, to Elliot, to her therapist, and now to Alex. It didn't get any easier.

* * *

After finishing with Olivia, Alex went straight home. She poured herself a glass of wine and stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter. This had been by far one of the most difficult witness preparations she had done in a long time. It was never easy, asking a victim to relive their trauma and forcing them to consider and answer uncomfortable questions. Part of her task in prepping a witness lay in predicting what her opposing counsel would do and readying the witness to answer whatever horrid questions might be thrown at them. Working with Olivia today, with someone she considered a dear friend… Alex squeezed her eyes shut as she remembered the expression on Olivia's face as Alex had grilled her on the most minute details. As the words of the day ran through her mind on a loop, haunting her with the terrifying reality of what had happened to Olivia and six innocent girls, Alex was more determined than ever to bring James Archer to justice.

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**Any reviews with comments/criticism/whatever are always welcome.**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter - and be prepared for some wicked questions on cross-examination.  
**


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I think it's fairly obvious, but just in case there are any questions: the text in italics are flashbacks.

* * *

Olivia's palms were sweating and her mouth was dry as she took the stand and was sworn in. Her eyes roamed the left side of the courtroom as the ADA stood to start asking questions. Behind Alex, she could see Cragen, Elliot, Munch, Fin, and even Huang lined up, offering their support as she gave her testimony. Olivia did not let her eyes yet stray to her right, where she knew James Archer was sitting.

If someone had asked later, Olivia honestly might not have been able to recall what was said as Alex was questioning her. Her whole world started to shake as she felt herself trapped in that small box of a witness stand with her rapist in the same room. A haze covered her vision and the buzzing in her ears made it seem as though the room were closing in around her. She locked eyes with Alex and used her as a focus point to try to keep balance as her whole being was rocked.

To the rest of the court, Olivia appeared calm. She took her seat on the witness stand and swore her oath; her voice was steady and confident. Only Alex saw the look of blind panic in her eyes as their gazes met. Normally, Alex would interrupt the witness statements with brief remarks addressed to the jury, repeating and reiterating what the witness had said. When she saw the fear in Olivia's eyes, however, Alex knew better. Through every question and every evenly-spoken, precise answer, the two never broke their eye contact. It was not until Trevor Langan stood up that Olivia began to visibly tremble.

Alex sat down and, out of the corner of her eye, Olivia saw a man in a dark suit stand up. "Detective Benson." Olivia pulled her eyes away from where Alex was sitting in front of the rest of SVU. She looked at Langan but her gaze was drawn to the man sitting at the defense table. His emerald eyes dragged her in and she was drowning in them, suffocating. She couldn't hear, couldn't think, couldn't speak – couldn't see anything but his eyes as they raked over her and seared into her mind.

Olivia's mouth was slightly open, her eyes wide and glassy. Her tongue flicked out over her lips, moistening them. "I'm sorry, would you repeat the question?"

"This is not the first time that you have been targeted because of your job, is it, Detective?"

"No." Olivia was having a hard time swallowing, let alone thinking straight to answer questions. Archer's gaze was predatory and possessive.

_His hand closed around her throat. Sweat ran down her body and pooled in the dip at the base of her neck. His body glistened with the sheen of his own sweat. _

"No, it was not," she repeated.

"Why is that?"

"One of the hazards of law enforcement is the constant exposure to criminals who want someone – anyone to blame for their lot in life. Many feel that the police, the D.A.'s office, or the judge are responsible for their conviction. They lash out at and threaten law enforcement for that reason."

"So, as a detective, you have received threats before?"

"Many."

"And this didn't concern you? You never thought that perhaps you should consider a safer career or take better precautions to protect yourself?"

"Objection!" Alex stood.

"Withdrawn." He paced in front of her. The hairs on the back of Olivia's neck stood on end as he approached. "Detective, had you ever received any threats from James Archer?"

"No."

"Before these events, did you even know who he was?"

"_I am James Archer – remember that name, because you'll be screaming it soon." His breath was warm against her neck and his arms encircled her in a vice grip, pinning her against him. His hands flowed over her naked flesh and she wanted to die from the shame of it. _

"I met him briefly over ten years ago, but no. I did not remember who he was."

"Do you recall seeing him before – maybe around the precinct or in your apartment building?"

"No."

"And yet he was in your building several times a week for a month. He was even on your floor, and you're telling the court that you never saw him?"

"No, I never noticed him there."

"I see the fine observational skills of a detective serve you well."

"Objection!" Alex was not even bothering to sit back in her chair, but remained perched on the edge of her seat as Langan questioned Olivia. She had a suspicion that she'd get a decent work-out today just standing and sitting with all the objections.

"If you have a question, Mr. Langan, ask it. Otherwise move on." The Judge Petrovsky's tone was mildly exasperated.

"Detective Benson, you had an opportunity to leave with the girls, did you not?"

Olivia hesitated.

"In fact, one of the girls stated that she wanted to get you out of the basement with the rest of them, but you told her, and I quote 'Get out! Lock the door behind you,' is that correct?"

"Yes, but –"

"If you had the chance to leave, why did you not take it?"

"I was fighting with Mr. Archer for control of a loaded gun. I did not want her to come near and risk getting injured, so I told her to go. I did not want him to get out and go after the girls, to harm them or prevent them from calling the police, so I told her to lock the door."

"So, you willingly stayed in the room with my client. Detective Benson, would you tell the court how many shots were fired from that gun?"

"Eight."

"Allow me to rephrase: how many shots total, including the bullets that struck Maria Lopez?"

"Eleven."

"Just to clarify, the gun in question is your registered service weapon?"

"It is."

"So, you would say this is a weapon you are familiar with. How many rounds can it hold?"

"Ten in the clip and one in the chamber, so eleven total."

"Then," Langan paused as though surprised, "the gun was empty when you told the girl to leave and lock you in the room with Mr. Archer.

"It was, but–"

"Thank you, Detective Benson." He cut her off. "What happened afterward, when you were in the basement alone with Mr. Archer?"

"He raped me."

"You are a strong woman, a police officer trained in self defense… how did a young man who has never taken any sort of martial arts class in his life manage that?"

"I was handcuffed and restrained by a chain that was secured to a wall."

_She ran from him, but the cuff around her ankle halted her. The strap pulled against her bones as she tugged. It would not give way. He was coming, closing the distance between their bodies, reaching out for her, pulling her to him, pinning her arms…_

"I fought him, but with limited mobility, my ability to defend myself was restricted."

"And he raped you?"

"Yes, twice."

"And you had an orgasm?"

"Objection! Relevance?" Alex was on her feet, her eyes flashed with anger.

"Sustained. Mr. Langan, move along."

Langan stood just to the side of a direct line between Olivia and James Archer. Every time she looked at him, she saw Archer over his shoulder. Archer smirked, a corner of his mouth drawing up into what, in other circumstances, might have been an attractive smile.

_His hand yanked back on her hair; her arms shook as she tried to support her weight. Her legs trembled. Her knees were on the ground, spread slightly apart, but still trapped between James'. Every thrust threw his body against her, leaving massive bruises down her thighs. His fingers rubbed against her core as he pushed himself into her. He stretched her painfully; her body screamed against the unwelcome intrusion. He pounded into her, over and over, as his hand stroked, circled, rubbed and rolled the tender bundle of nerves nestled between her legs. She cried out and then, when it was over, she just cried. _

"Detective?"

Olivia had closed her eyes and looked away. When she reopened them, she was staring at the wood on the left corner of the witness box. She felt the threat of tears rising beneath her eyes and blinked them away. She raised her eyes back to Langan.

"Detective Benson, this is not the first time you have been attacked, is it?"

"No."

"Objection – the witness's history is not on trial here."

"Overruled. Let's see where he is taking this."

Langan's smirk mirrored that of his client. "Tell us about what happened."

Below the wooden barrier of the stand, Olivia twisted her hands together. "I was… on an undercover operation inside a woman's prison. I was investigating a report of rape by one of the prison guards. One of the C.O.'s pulled me out of the cafeteria and took me to a basement. There was a bed there." She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and continued. "He threw me on the bed, but I got up. He pinned me against a wall and undid my handcuffs. I hit him and I ran. But I was still in the basement of the prison; everything was locked and there was nowhere for me to go. He found me, he beat me, and he handcuffed me to the bars of a door."

_Handcuffs. Cold metal encircled her wrists. She pulled against it to no avail. She felt the heat radiate off Harris' body – a stark contrast to the coolness of the wall behind her. She saw him in front of her, his hands pressed down on the sides of her head like a clamp; he forced her to face him even as she strained to turn away. _

"What happened then?"

Olivia saw Elliot looking at her and the pain in his eyes mirrored her own. She had never told him the details of what had happened in Sealview. "I was on the ground and the guard was standing over me. He undid his pants and held his penis near my face. Detective Tutuola was my backup in the prison and at this point, he arrived in the basement. He freed me and took the guard into custody."

"This… undercover operation – was it properly sanctioned?"

"It was approved by my captain."

"But you did not have the cooperation of the prison administration, did you?"

"No. We did not want to tip anyone off to the presence of an undercover investigation."

"And, because no one in the prison system knew you were there, you did not have appropriate backup, did you? It's a rather sloppy undercover op. that allows the operative to be so viciously attacked by a suspect."

"Objection, Your Honor – where is this going?"

"Mr. Langan, make your point or change your line of questioning."

"Detective Benson has a history of placing herself in high-risk situations. Numerous times, she has gone undercover and baited rapists in order to secure evidence for their arrest. She suffered a vicious attack during one of these undercover stings and never pressed charges against her attacker. After this attack, she took no extra precautions in either her personal or professional life to prevent a reoccurrence. When afforded the opportunity to escape from the basement with the other girls, she claims that she did not take that opportunity in order to prevent my client from leaving the basement with a gun – a gun that she is familiar with and that she would have known was empty because she counted the fired shots. She alleges that my client raped her and yet she reached sexual climax during this alleged assault." He faced the jury and gave a modest shrug. "My point is: she likes it."

* * *

**Let me know what you think. **

********I know this is probably not very realistic in Langan's conclusions during her questioning, but I wanted him to be using a "she likes it/she was asking for it" defense attempt.**


	14. Chapter 14

"Counsel! Approach!" Judge Petrovsky barked before Alex could even recover enough from the shock to object to what Langan had said. "Mr. Langan, just what do you think you are doing?"

"Your Honor, I am trying to establish a pattern that shows that Ms. Benson has a habit of deliberately putting herself in harm's way and that–"

"No, what you are doing is tormenting a rape victim on the stand." Petrovsky's anger was evident in that she did not even allow him to finish his sentence. "You know the restrictions that are in place regarding the questioning of victims of sexual assault. If you so much as go _near_ the line again, I will hold you in contempt of court."

"Yes, Your Honor."

Alex's body was still rigid with anger when the judge dismissed them from her bench. Her jaw was clenched and she had to exert a conscious effort to keep her hands from balling into fists.

Petrovsky addressed the jury, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, please disregard the last statement from the defense's counsel." She looked down at the court reporter who had paused her busy typing. "Let it be stricken from the record."

Langan was shaken. He had known that his comments would provoke a reaction, but had underestimated that the judge would react so harshly. His opposing counsel didn't even have to say a word.

He took a deep breath. This case had been over for his client before it even began. "No more questions for this witness."

Alex stood. "Re-direct, Your Honor?"

"Proceed, Ms. Cabot."

"Detective Benson–" Alex started to ask a question, but stopped when she saw the look on Olivia's face.

The detective was staring at Archer; her eyes were wide, her pupils dilated, beads of sweat stood out on her face. Alex moved closer to the witness stand. "Olivia?" she asked in an undertone?"

"Alex…" The single name that slipped past Olivia's lips was a desperate plea.

Alex straightened and backed away from the witness stand. "Your Honor, the People request a ten-minute recess."

Judge Petrovsky considered. It was extremely un-orthodox to grant a recess while there was a witness on the stand, but not unheard of. "Granted. Detective Benson, please step down from the stand. You will be re-sworn in when we re-convene in ten minutes.

Olivia's legs were shaking when she stood to step down from the witness stand. She was thankful that the wooden barrier hid her weakness as she paused to gain control of her limbs before leaving the stand. She walked toward the door and Alex quickly joined her, leading her to a small room where they could sit for a few moments.

A bailiff brought Olivia a glass of water and then stood outside the door, leaving Alex and Olivia alone. Olivia's hand was unsteady as she brought the water to her lips and sipped it. "Alex, what the hell was that? I've never seen a defense lawyer attack a witness like that."

"I know, Olivia, I know. And trust me, the judicial review board will be hearing from me about it. But right now, we have to get through the rest of your testimony."

Olivia bit her lip. "Alex…" Alex hated to hear Olivia's voice sound to uncertain. "Alex, what if Langan was right? What if it _is _my fault? I am a product of rape and violence and maybe that's all I`ll ever have… Maybe…"

Alex leaned forward in her chair and took one of Olivia's hands in both of hers. "Olivia, you and I both know that that is not true. You have done so many good things, protected so many people. You are a good person and you did nothing to deserve what Archer did to you, or Harris or any of the others who have lashed out at you and threatened you. They hate you because you protect what they want to take and destroy. And they will destroy you if they can, but only if you let them. You have to be strong; you have to know that you are not the one to blame."

Olivia drew in a deep, shuddering breath. "So what happens now?"

"Well, my plan was that after witness testimony, I was going to bring out the video of when he shot Maria. That's the murder case, that's what's going to get him the death penalty. However, now we have the issue of his slander against you. Even though it was stricken from the record, that sort of comment always stays in the jury's minds. And the video when he shot Maria…"

"… was the only time I didn't fight him. God, this is _sick_. How can they think that I – that _anyone_ – could want that? I only did what he wanted because he was going to kill someone if I didn't."

"Now, I could show only the second half of the video, when he actually shot Maria. The problem is that the entire video has already been entered into the evidence log for the trial. If I show half, Langan will just pull up the other half and it'll look even worse."

"So what do we do?"

"Well, he tried to argue that you take too many risks, put yourself in situations where you are likely to be attacked, and that you… enjoy being assaulted. So, what we have to do is walk the jury through all the good that you've done and how every risky situation you have gone into has been to protect an innocent victim or to gain justice for past victims. Right now, the jury sees you as a victim who has a questionable past – who volunteered for a unit that works in close contact with sexual criminals and has a history of volunteering for dangerous assignments as well. We are going to get them to see you as a strong detective who is willing to risk everything and put her life on the line in order to protect those around her."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"We're going to have to go into some of your past cases; especially the Harris case, since that's the one Langan brought up. Judge Petrovsky will give us a little extra license because of how far out of line Langan went earlier. Then we're going to go through this case, again. All of it. Not so much the physical details, but the emotional side. We are going to show the jury your commitment to getting those girls out of there and how your every action since waking up in that hell-hole was to keep them safe and get them out. And then we're going to play that video and let the jury see him kill Maria in cold-blood."

There was a knock at the door and they both stood up and headed back into the courtroom.

* * *

**Forgive me for the shorter chapter. Let me know what you think.**


	15. Chapter 15

"Detective Benson, how long have you been a member of the Special Victims Unit?"

Olivia was back on the stand. "Over thirteen years."

"And your work requires you to daily interact with people who have been abused in unspeakable ways and to find their attackers. Would you say you are emotionally invested in your work?"

"There is no way not to be."

"Your work has put you in dangerous situations?"

"Yes."

"And sometimes you have gone into dangerous situations of your own will?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I deal with a lot of criminals in my job, but more importantly, I deal with victims. I see their pain, their suffering, their desire for justice and the crushing knowledge that justice does not right the wrong that was done. I see that and I want it to stop. In hostage situations, there have been times that I was the first one on the scene. My job was to negotiate with the perpetrator in order to free his victim and if I had to step into a volatile situation to do that, sometimes I did so. I am always armed on the job; when going after an armed suspect, I typically wear a bullet-proof vest; and I am trained in self-defense. If I can talk a perp into freeing a victim, that is one less innocent person who could be killed. My job as a police officer is to protect and serve and I have done and will continue to pursue that goal, even at the cost of occasionally risking my personal well-being."

"You take your job very seriously, then."

"I do. Every victim should have the right to see their attacker in jail and should have someone who will fight for justice on their behalf."

"In the case that Mr. Langan alluded to, when you went undercover at a women's prison… can you tell us why you decided to pursue that mission?"

"A rape was reported to my unit but, when I went to speak to the victim, she refused to speak with me or any other police officer. She was scared of retribution against her mother if she spoke. I went to the prison to speak with the mother, but got no information from her either. Shortly thereafter, the mother was found dead in the prison. It was officially ruled a suicide, but our medical examiner had reason to suspect that it was a homicide. I went into the prison in order to find justice for this young woman and her mother."

"And in doing so, you were assaulted."

Olivia nodded. "I had thought that I would be able to protect myself. I thought that if anything happened, I would just be able to call for help and it would come. I overestimated my abilities and I suffered for it. But my identification of the prison guard combined with that of the young woman helped to put him away. So at the very least, I got justice for her."

"But not for yourself?"

"No. There were… technical legal issues regarding the undercover operation that prevented the D.A.'s office from filing charges against the guard for assaulting me."

"How did you feel after these events?"

Olivia swallowed. "Angry, I suppose. Scared, ashamed… I experienced the same emotions that I see every day in rape victims and victims of sexual assault."

"But still you continued in your work?"

"Yes."

"And when you were abducted and woke to find yourself trapped in a room where six innocent girls were also being held prisoner, how did you feel then?"

"I wanted to protect them."

"But you were also trapped. How could you have helped them?"

"I tried to convince Archer to let them go. I said that if he needed a hostage, I was all he needed – keeping the girls captive would give him no additional benefit and letting them go would be perceived as a good-faith gesture when the police came to talk him down."

"What was his response?"

"He threatened the girls with my gun and ordered me to get on my knees. I couldn't let anything happen to them, I just couldn't." Olivia shut her eyes as she continued. "I did what he told me to do because I didn't want him to hurt the girls. I told him to stop, I said that if he'd stop what he was doing and let the girls go, maybe he could get a plea bargain."

"And how did the defendant reply?"

Olivia opened her eyes and looked at the jury. "He told me that if I gave him oral sex, he would let one of the girls go. He said that if I didn't or if I kept trying to talk him out of it, he would shoot one of them in the shoulders and knees so I could watch her bleed to death. There was no other choice for me other than to…" For the first time in her hours on the stand, Olivia's voice was raw and gravelly with anger. "…to _submit_ to that bastard."

Alex allowed a pause after Olivia finished speaking before she asked her next question. "What happened then?"

"He forced himself into my mouth. I could barely breathe and was choking, but he wouldn't stop. When he finished, he pushed me down and ejaculated on my face. I vomited and he started to leave. I reminded him that he had agreed to let one of the girls go. That was when he shot Maria Lopez. While she was on the ground, bleeding to death, he pinned me to the ground and told me that it was my fault she had died. Then he beat me until I blacked out."

"Thank you, Detective Benson." Alex turned to face the twelve people in the jury box. "Every time a firefighter runs into a building, he risks his life. He knowingly races headlong into that fire to pull out someone who is trapped, suffocating, in imminent danger. He does not go into the fire because he likes the heat or because he is unaware of the danger of severe burns. He goes into the fire because there is someone to protect and he considers that life worth saving even if it involves risking his own. Detective Olivia Benson is no different. Even after a great deal of personal suffering, she has proved over and over again that she is an outstanding police officer and detective who is committed to protecting and serving those around her. Detective Benson is not only a victim in this case; she is a hero for doing everything possible to ensure the security and release of the other victims."

Judge Petrovsky regarded Olivia. "Thank you, Detective Benson. You may step down."

As the bailiff opened the door to escort Olivia out into the hallway, she saw a television set being wheeled in.

* * *

The trial stretched on for a full week and into a second. Olivia went some mornings, but she was always the last to enter the courtroom and the first to leave before the trial recessed for lunch. She sat in the far back and avoided talking with the other victims or their families. In the afternoons and on the days when she was not watching the trial, Olivia went to SVU and worked, pouring herself into her cases.

Three months after the ordeal and seven court-days into the trial, Olivia received a call from Alex just before lunch. "Benson," she snapped into the phone."

"Olivia? It's Alex. I wanted to let you know that the jury is going to start deliberating this afternoon. Do you want to come down to the courthouse?"

Olivia flipped shut the file on her desk as she stood and grabbed her jacket. "Yeah, I'll be right down."

By the time she got to the courthouse, the jury was already in session and the rest of SVU were all there to wait with her. They sat clustered together as they waited. The time ticked by as though each second were an hour. Finally, the jury returned.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?"

The foreman of the jury stood. "We have, Your Honor."

A bailiff took the sheet of paper from the foreman and brought it to the judge. Petrovsky scanned the page, her face unreadable, and handed it back. "Will the defendant please rise?"

Archer and Langan both stood.

"How does the jury find?" Petrovsky asked.

"We find the defendant guilty, on all charges."

Petrovsky lifted her gavel. "Mr. Archer, you will be taken to Rikers Prison until your sentencing hearing, set a week from today. Court is adjourned." The gavel came down.

Archer did not say anything; he looked at Olivia and smiled. "Detective Benson!" he called out to her. Olivia looked up. Her back stiffened and she balled her fists. She walked over to the defense table, where two bailiffs were putting handcuffs on him.

"It's over," she told him. "You'll spend the rest of your worthless life in an 8 by 10 box. And a pretty boy like you should be real popular on the block – hope you can take what you dished out."

"Are you kidding?" James Archer actually threw back his head and laughed. "I raped some bitch cop; I`ll be a fucking hero."

Olivia turned her back to him and walked away. She headed for the grieving Hispanic couple that she had avoided speaking to throughout the trial proceedings.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lopez? My name is Olivia Benson…"

END

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**Let me know your final thoughts on my first story - especially anything in my writing (technical or stylistic) that could use improvement**


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